Wars of Minds, Conflicts of Hearts
by KousukeAsazuki
Summary: [dedicated to killahsama, happy early birthday!] Set after the series. Krad and Dark are gone, but how will Satoshi and Daisuke handle the absence of that which has always been there? Full summary and pairings inside. SatoshiDaisuke, KradDark
1. Reminiscing

This is dedicated to killah-sama, once again, because she's awesome, writes awesome fics, and it's her birthday in a few days. So, in short, this is a birthday present because I have nothing else to offer. Enjoy!

I was going to wait until I had the whole thing typed up, but I'm on the fourth chapter of it, so I think I'll be able to keep up with it. At the very least, I hope so.

Full summary[dedicated to killah-sama Set after the series. Krad and Dark are gone, but how will Satoshi and Daisuke handle the absence of that which has always been there? And what if, by chance, Satoshi released Dark from his prison and unintentionally got Krad in the deal? Could he re-seal the pair again, knowing that it would make Daisuke as miserable as he had been before?

Disclaimer: I do not own D N Angel or any of its characters, places, or events. (so formal, aren't I? Oh... just ruined it, damn)

Pairings: SatoshiDaisuke, KradSatoshi (onesided), DarkDaisuke (onesided), KradDark

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mental/emotional torture and aguish, Non-con

Rating: T for now (just so I don't have to keep changing it), M for later.

* * *

"Oh, Niwa-kun," Satoshi said, looking at the boy across the threshold of his front door, "Can I help you with something?"

Daisuke mumbled a reply and glanced away, scuffing his shoe on the cement step he was standing on. Finally looking back to Satoshi, he shook his head, "No... no, not really."

An eyebrow quirked at the redhead's strange behavior, "Well, you're the one that came to my house," he pointed out, "Did you want something?"

"No," Daisuke answered again, "I was just... walking, and I ended up around here and thought I'd drop by. That's all." And a lie at that, but Satoshi didn't need to know, not when he himself didn't really know why he'd set out to see the bluenette.

Satoshi studied his schoolmate for a while before giving a sympathetic look, "You're lonely, is that it?" His expression turned to one of amusement at the shocked one on Daisuke's face, "Well, it wouldn't be surprising. You were quite close to Dark, were you not?"

Dark. The name still upset him to hear, but he knew it was something he'd have to get over. He knew he would never see his other half again, and the fact stung. Satoshi couldn't understand how badly it hurt-- he hadn't had a good relationship with Krad. Sighing, the redhead nodded, "Yeah, I was."

"And you think I'll know how you feel, since I had the same connection with Krad," the bespectacled boy continued.

"I guess, but I know that's not true. You weren't close with Krad like I was with Dark-"

"That's not true," Satoshi interrupted, glancing down.

Daisuke blinked, "You two... were close?"

"Not in the traditional way, not like you and Dark, but anyone with such a relationship as we had is bound to become... accustomed to the presence." Even though Krad would call him weak (and he'd agree) for such thinking, Satoshi couldn't help but feel that way. The homicidal angel had made more of an impact on him than he had expected.

Daisuke wasn't sure what to make of this, but he was fairly certain that Satoshi missed Krad, at least in some sense. He nodded in agreement, "I guess that's why I came here."

"What do you expect me to do about it?" the bluenette wondered, "I'm not one to offer condolences."

Is that what he had hoped would happen? That he'd go running to Satoshi, and the blue-eyed boy would accept him with open arms and help him to cope with his loss? Did he think just because he _understood _that he'd _care_? Daisuke shook his head, "I guess I wasn't thinking."

Satoshi studied his friend for a few moments before moving aside. At the smaller boy's confused look, he rolled his eyes, "Come on in, it'll be raining soon."

Red eyes were cast up to the heavens and sure enough, there were storm clouds gathering overhead. "Thanks," he said, summoning a small smile and making his way inside.

"My father's out of town for now, so there won't be anyone but us here," Satoshi informed him as they walked along the entrance hall to the living room, "Are you hungry?"

Daisuke figured that it was simple hospitality instead of real kindness that made the other boy act so formal. He shook his head again, "No, I'm alright." In all honesty, he hadn't had much of an appetite since that night, but no one needed to know. The only thing it would do was worry them, and that was the last thing Daisuke wanted or needed.

Satoshi nodded and motioned to a seat, sitting himself in an armchair as Daisuke did the same. An uncomfortable and very (understatedly) awkward silence settled over them and both avoided looking at the other. Daisuke nibbled at his bottom lip, and looked as if he meant to say something, but words never came. Every now and then, Satoshi would dare a look at his redheaded friend, but the latter was always occupying himself with looking at a piece of art that adorned the walls.

Finally, Daisuke stood from his seat and offered Satoshi another smile, "I should be going, it's getting late."

The bluenette nodded slightly and sighed as his schoolmate headed back to the front door. A glance at a clock hanging on the wall told him it was only about five o'clock. Deciding to beat around the bush no longer, he followed the smaller one, "Niwa-kun."

Daisuke blinked and turned around, nearly to the door already. "Yes?"

Satoshi didn't stop advancing until he was only a foot away from the other boy, "What did Dark do for you?"

"Do...for me?" Daisuke repeated, confused, "He didn't do anything for me, I mean... he was kind of self-centered like that, I guess, but he wasn't rea-"

"No," Satoshi cut him off quickly, shaking his head, "How did he make you feel? What did he give you that made him so special?"

"Oh," Daisuke whispered, looking down again, "I... he was always there to talk to, and he always offered advice, even if it wasn't in the most... helpful of ways at some times. I don't know how to explain it, he was just like..."

"Your other half," Satoshi filled in for him, understanding better than anyone the phrase. Krad had been, without a doubt, _his _other half, too. As Daisuke was kind and good-intentioned like Dark, Satoshi was both cold and manipulative like his worser half.

Daisuke nodded, "Yeah, but Hiwatari-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you ask?"

Satoshi blinked and tilted his head, "Well, you came here to talk, right? For...comfort? You were going to leave and we didn't even say two words to each other." In honesty, Satoshi would have been just as content to let the redhead go, but something was telling him that later, it would be worth the trouble now.

"I guess so," the younger boy admitted sheepishly, smiling slightly, "Thanks, Hiwatari-kun. I'll see you later."

The bespectacled boy watched as his friend walked out the door, _"We still said barely anything," _he thought, sighing again. Perhaps Daisuke wasn't quite ready to talk yet, but only thought he was. The only problem was, Satoshi wasn't sure he was the one to offer advice. After all, he was glad that his other half had been sealed away, never to return.

---

Daisuke lay in his bed, staring at the blank ceiling with equally blank eyes. He couldn't sleep, and hadn't been able to for quite some time. The only blips of unconsciousness he did get was when he reached his limit and finally passed out from exhaustion. The bad part was that those times were usually during school, and his grades were slipping. He heard whispers of everyone behind his back, muttering about how he wasn't looking good and that maybe he was sick or depressed.

_"Depressed," _he thought, laughing dryly to himself, _"They'd be depressed, too." _It was like losing a member of the family, but more intimate. He thought perhaps he knew now how a twin felt when their sibling died. His relationship with Dark had been a cross between a love and a friendship, and he wasn't sure what he had quite felt for his darker half.

He then began thinking of everyone he had relationships with: His mother, his father and grandfather, Towa and With, Saehara, Risa, Riku, and all his classmates. And, of course, Satoshi. What he felt for all of them was something just a little bit different.

His mother, he felt a child's love, while his father he felt a pride and admiration for. His grandfather he merely felt a great deal of respect and amazement for. Towa and Wiz were like family to him as well, and he saw them more as (younger) siblings than anything else; those who he cared a great deal for, but sometimes got to be a tad annoying.

Saehara was his best friend and he couldn't imagine not seeing the brunette's grinning face every day at school, and the twins were almost more dear to him than anyone else. Risa was his first love, and it was said over and over again (so that even he started to believe it) that Riku was his true love, his Holy Maiden.

But if he already had a love, and a best friend, and siblings, then what was Satoshi? He was more than just a friend (even more than a best friend), and Daisuke didn't feel for him like he did his family. He felt distanced from him, but also very close-- like he had with Risa and Riku both, unable to tell them everything about himself (and still) while wanting to so badly. Satoshi, however, already knew; Daisuke had nothing to fear and nothing to hide.

The redhead groaned as thoughts swarmed his head and buried his face in his pillow. With cracked an eye open and shifted his position on the boy slightly, then settled back to sleep. After every thought in the world ran through his head, Daisuke concluded that he had no idea what Satoshi was to him or what he felt for him.

_"What did Dark do for you?" _That question had been so easy, but what did _Satoshi _do for him? Would he be his saving grace, his confidant? Could he be everything that Dark was and just a little bit more, or would he leave like his angel had, never to return? Unsure of anything anymore, Daisuke rolled over, disturbing With (who chose the windowsill as a resting place instead), and stared at the mirror opposite his bed. Even in his sleep-deprived state, not a glimpse of Dark's grinning face appeared in the glossy surface.

* * *

Yay for emotional torture! Poor Daisuke's so confused, trying to replace Dark and look for something different at the same time. And Satoshi's got his own problems to deal with, too, as well as not really wanting to help Daisuke out. Aw, I'm sure he'll come around, though. Perhaps. XD, hope you enjoyed! 


	2. Family Bonds

Okay, yay, I'm happy now. Why? Well, it's just got something to do with this certain review XD, I won't bore you with the details, but I decided to update because of it. I really need to get working on this, though, or else I'm going to slack off, and I shall not do that. Enjoy!

killah-sama: XD, that would be funny, though. 'What do you want for your birthday?' 'Hm? Oh, a yaoi fic written by this person you've never met on this site you'll probably never go to.' 'O.o...' I'm so relieved that you like it so far, though, I tried to think to myself 'now, wtf would she want in a fic?' Then, I realized I had nothing to go off of but that one review I got from you for my feather rape, and your fics that I read, so I'm kind of winging it with a little guidance. XD, I do hope I won't disappoint.

And don't worry, I know the feeling very well (still waiting for someone to do the same that _isn't _a friend of mine) It's nice and all, but I think it means less when someone you know well does it... or maybe it means more... I have no idea, but to me it doesn't mean as much. I know, my morals are probably screwed up. And SatoDai-ness will be aplenty for your fangirlness, so no worries there. Also much in the angst and unrequited love (and even a bit of requited but very confused about it love).

Once again, I'm very, very glad you like it so far, and I love you, too XDD. Thanks so very much for reviewing!

Doreiku: XD, I'm also grateful for a review from you since I love your fics, too. XD, there should be rape, you're right. I think a fic is only complete once there's a rape scene in it. I'll have to look into that something fierce. XDD, thanks for reviewing!

Violet Garnets: I think this is my new favorite fic just because I'm getting all these reviews from these awesome authors whose skills pwn mine badly. And yup, on the 17th. I had hoped to be posting the last chapter that day, but with the way things are going (and the fact that I want to draw this out as much as possible without making it repetitive and redundant), I don't think that will be happening. And yes, oh yes, you definitely should (nods). It's funny, as obsessed with D N Angel as I was/am, this is the first SatoshiDaisuke fic I've written, other than little side thing in my slave fic, but that won't count for now. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: _And _my ever-elusive, favorite reviewer? This fic has just made the KousukeAsazuki hall of fame (Oh yes, there is one... in my head). XD, there will be sap and fluff, no worries, but also plenty of emotional torture as well. XD, so you can indulge in both just a little. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Daisuke, come on, you'll be late for school," the boy's father said, knocking on his door, "Your mother's going to give me hell if you don't get up, you know."

Red eyes half-opened slowly and Daisuke groaned again as a reply, "Yeah...I'm coming," he said.

Kosuke, however, raised an eyebrow and opened his son's door a crack, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Daisuke told him, forcing himself into a sitting position. He had fallen asleep not an hour ago and somehow had woken up with a horrible headache and feeling like death. He rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair before pushing the covers aside.

"You don't look so good," the older man noted, crossing the room to Daisuke's bed and placing a hand on his forehead, "And you're burning up."

"I'll be alright," the son assured him, "I just need some fresh air, the walk to school should do me some good."

Kosuke sighed and chuckled, "You sure are your mother's son," he commented, heading back to the door, "Always so hard-headed and determined."

Daisuke grinned, but inside he just felt like curling up in a ball and wasting away. School just didn't seem as important now, but he knew if he didn't go, he'd never want to again, and he couldn't let himself go like that. If anything, Dark's absence should push him to work harder and become better, so that he might never lose anyone close to him again.

He followed his father out of his room and down into the kitchen where Towa was working on breakfast. She turned around and lit up the room with a smile, "Good morning!" she greeted, "What do you want for breakfast?"

The thought of food churned Daisuke's stomach and he shook his head, "Not really hungry," he mumbled.

Towa blinked, "But you're always hungry," she remarked.

"Dai-chan, you know you need to eat," Emiko called from the other room.

"I'm fine," he insisted, wanting to just go.

"He's feeling a bit under the weather," Kosuke came to his son's defense.

"Is it a cold or a flu?" Towa asked, piling a plate full of food, "Because you know what they say: Starve a cold, feed a flu."

"It's neither," the redhead said, grabbing his schoolbag and heading to the door, "I'll just... get something at lunch."

"Daisuke, wait you-" Emiko called, but her only answer was the door being shut. She sighed and looked to Kosuke, worriedly, who only offered a shrug.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," he said, offering a smile, "He's a fighter."

"I know," she agreed, but a frown still lined her face.

"He's torn up over Dark," the woman's father interjected, "The loss of something so close to you can be very difficult."

"How did you get over it?" Kosuke wondered.

"I was not nearly as young as Daisuke, and I came to accept that Dark and I would not be one forever," the old man said, "Still, I do sometimes miss our old days of thieving in the dark of the night, and our conversations we would have when there was nothing better to do."

Emiko smiled slightly, "At least he got to be with Dark for a little while." She had never gotten to hold Dark within her mind, as she was female, and only males of the line could contain the kaitou. That fact, perhaps, made her wish to be the thief even more.

"He'll be alright," Kosuke repeated, trying to console the entire room, but it did little good. The fact was, he _would _be alright, but the here and now was a different story.

The conversation was interrupted by said redhead stalking back inside, his face as bright as his hair. "Why did no one tell me that I was still in my pajamas?" he asked, staring at every last one of them.

"Well, I tried," his mother said, "but you ran out of here before I could finish what I was saying."

"Perhaps you should stay home today," Kosuke suggested, "You're really not with it."

"I'm fine," Daisuke repeated once again, heading past everyone to his room, _"I'd be much better if Riku-san hadn't been the first one to see me." _As all schoolboys did, Daisuke was always looking to impress the girl he had a crush on. Walking to school with bed head and pajamas on wasn't the way to do that.

"You're sure he'll be alright?" Emiko asked quietly as the boy's door shut.

"Don't worry," her husband said, grabbing her hand in an attempt to comfort her, "Like I said, he's strong."

"He's right," Towa nodded, "Dai-chan is super strong and very talented, he'll be fine in no time!"

Emiko looked to her father, who also nodded his encouragement. She smiled slightly, "I suppose you all are right." She then started, "Oh, well, Towa-chan, we should get to town if we're going to get the groceries for the week."

"Okay!" Towa agreed, as bright and cheerful as ever, turning the sink water off and joining Emiko at the door, "Goodbye, and tell Dai-chan I said to have a wonderful day."

Kosuke waved them off and looked back to the remaining member of the house, "She's taking it pretty hard, too, isn't she?"

Daichii nodded, "Yes, Dark was like a son to her, as well, keep in mind. She cared for him very deeply, as he did her."

Kosuke frowned at the closed door, contemplating what he could do to cheer his wife and son up. Nothing came to mind, and any attempts to take their mind off of the subject would be futile-- Dark had left a bigger impression than to be so easily erased.

"They will be fine," the older man repeated Kosuke's own mantra to him, "For as strong as Daisuke is, he got that strength from his mother."

Daisuke took that moment to re-emerge from his room, dressed appropriately and schoolbag in hand. "Try and have a good day," Kosuke offered as the redhead passed him.

The latter glanced over his shoulder and for a second, regarded his father with a strange look in his eyes, as if to say 'how can I have a good day when it feels like nothing will ever be good again?' After a second, though, he summoned and smile and nodded, "Yeah, I will," he promised and left the house once more.

---

Satoshi glanced at his pocket as his cell phone inside of it buzzed, alerting him that he had a call. It couldn't have been his father, he had just spoken with him a few hours ago before school, so he was curious as to see who it was. He excused himself from class and ventured out into the hallway, flipping open his phone and holding it to his ear, "Hello?"

"Hiwatari-kun." It was Daisuke, who (Satoshi had noticed) hadn't shown up for class yet. He didn't sound good at all and Satoshi frowned.

"Niwa-kun, what's wrong?"

"I... I'm running away," Daisuke whispered into the phone, "I can't stay here, there are too many memories, and I can't take it. I'm sorry, I really wanted to see you again before I left, but..."

"What? Running away? Niwa-kun, where are you? You're in no condition to be going out alone in your state." His cold disregard for the human race was pushed aside and genuine concern came radiating through. He didn't even noticed the strange sensation building up inside him-- he had to see Daisuke.

"I'm leaving soon," Daisuke said, "Don't bother trying to find me, I... don't want to be found, not right now."

"I can't let you do this, it's irresponsible and unlike you, Niwa-kun. Just come to school and stop messing around, or go home and rest."

"I can't. I can't sleep, I can't relax. Everything I've been doing lately is a blur and I feel so... drained all the time." Satoshi heard a small sigh on the other line, "I don't mean to cause so much trouble, maybe I shouldn't have called you at all."

Satoshi frowned and narrowed his eyes slightly, "Daisuke, don't go." Not only the use of his first name, but the desperation in the bluenette's voice made Daisuke listen, _really _listen to Satoshi's words, "You're not the only one in your position right now, you know, and you can't just run and hide from it. That's not who you are, so stop it."

"I'm not who I used to be," the redhead pointed out, "I can't even remember being happy."

"That's ridiculous, you're just over reacting. Listen, I know this has put a lot of stress on you-"

"How can you know that?" the Niwa boy demanded, biting his lip to keep from shouting, "How can you know what it feels like without him? You didn't have the relationship I did with Dark, and even if you did, you..."

"I'm not like you," Satoshi filled in for him, "I know, I don't react the same ways you do and I don't take things as seriously as I should. Perhaps... the fact that he's gone just hasn't sunk in yet for me. Or, perhaps as much as I was fond of him, I hated him, and him being gone causes me as much joy as it does distress. I don't really know, but you can't leave, Daisuke, I may never see you again if you do."

During Satoshi's speech, Daisuke had calmed down enough to listen to him, and was now thinking a bit more clearly. Everything the blue-eyed boy said made sense, and Daisuke sighed to himself. "You're right," he said finally, "I'm sorry, Hiwatari-kun, I-"

"Call me Satoshi."

Red eyes blinked, "What?"

"Call me Satoshi," the cool-toned boy repeated, "This 'Niwa-kun' and 'Hiwatari-kun' thing is a little below us at this point, don't you think?"

"I guess." In all honesty, he'd never even thought to call Satoshi by his first name, he never thought they were on such friendly terms. It just went to show how little he really knew his classmate and supposed good friend.

"So, are you coming to school?"

The next big question-- now that he decided not to jump on a train and leave town, what was he going to do? How was he going to live without Dark; without letting the _thoughts _of Dark consume him? He decided the first step would be to get his life back as normal as possible. "Yeah," he replied, "I'll be there."

"If you're sure, I could come to you." He wasn't sure why he was making these offers and helping Daisuke so much, but he appreciated how well (all things considered) the young boy was dealing with the loss of someone dear to him. He thought that perhaps if he had been in Daisuke's situation, he wouldn't have handled it that well.

_"After all, all you are is weak without me. You'd have never amounted to a thing without my guidance, and everything you have now is rightfully mine."_

Those vile words Krad had spoken to him so long ago were like a mantra; every time he saw another's weakness, anytime someone commented on how cool and collected he was, or how strong he was, those words came back to haunt him. Mostly, he had discovered, because they were true.

He hadn't been with Krad long, but the little time he had, the angel had turned him into something unrecognizable to even himself. He was cold and distant, calculated and severe. He never did anything above what was to be expected and showed no pride in his accomplishments. He knew, at least in part, it was because Krad never showed any pride in _him_. The homicidal boy had affected not only his thought process, but his entire outlook on life. Having such an unstable mentality amongst your own, you start to see things their way, and how easy life could be when you cared for nothing and no one but yourself.

Then there was Daisuke, who despite all his hardships and burdens, had always managed to wear a smile. Satoshi had always thought it was because, while sarcastic and cocky, Dark was always supportive of him and cared for him. The two weren't without their conflicts, but Daisuke was generally good-natured, and Satoshi was sure Dark knew that and approved of it with all his being. Dark might have been the one with black wings, but Krad had been the one with a black soul.

"Hiwa- Satoshi?" the voice on the other end of the line said, a mix of hesitation and worry lacing his voice.

"Sorry," Satoshi muttered, "just thinking."

"If you don't want to come..." So he had decided to stay out of school for the day, after all, and now wanted Satoshi to come to him.

"No, I'll come. Where are you?"

Daisuke looked around-- he hadn't been kidding, he was at the train station, money in hand to buy a ticket. He quickly pocketed the cash and started walking away from the ticket booth, "Uh... I'm headed to the park, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can." With that, the line clicked dead and their conversation ended.

---

"I'm not paying for you to go to school so you can skip, you realize," an uncomfortably familiar voice sent a chill down Satoshi spine as he made his way from the school. He turned to see his father standing at the front gate by a waiting limousine.

"Then stop paying, I can cover the cost myself easily," the blue-eyed boy remarked, "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, of course."

Satoshi's eyes narrowed slightly, "You were supposed to be gone for another few days, why are you back so suddenly?"

"I found all I needed to already." The older man chuckled and motioned to the vehicle, "So get in, I have some good news."

"I'm busy, we can talk later." He didn't want to keep Daisuke waiting; if he didn't show now, it might completely break the redhead's trust and push him far enough away to actually leave.

"This will only take a minute," his father promised, "So get in." It wasn't a question this time.

Frowning, the bespectacled boy slid through the open door and shifted as far away from his father as he could, "I need to go to-"

"Be quiet, there are more important matters at hand here," the brunette interrupted.

"What is so urgent that you'd come here looking for me?" Whatever it was, Satoshi was damned if it would be good.

His father chuckled and looked him square in the eyes, "How would you feel about an old friend returning home?"

The look in his father's eyes told Satoshi that he'd never make it out of what was to come alive. After all, how many 'old friends' could make his evil-spirited adopter so maliciously happy? The bluenette frowned, "How?"

"How isn't important, though from the look on your face, I'm guessing you've realized what I'm speaking of."

"Krad." He said that one word with as much vile and distaste as he could muster, and yet it still didn't sound as if he hated the boy enough.

"Yes, after that unfortunate event with the Black Wings, I searched and searched for a way to retrieve him-"

"Why?" This time, the younger one was the one to interrupt.

"Why?" the man repeated, "Why not?"

"Dark is already gone, so why would you want to bring Krad back?"

"Who is to say Dark will not return? If he does, then we must be prepared to counter him once more. Krad is the best way-"

"To get us all killed," Satoshi finished for him, "Krad's entire purpose was to defeat Dark. He's done that, where do you think he'd turn his attentions-- what do you think he's _capable _of-- when he's simply bored and without purpose?"

"He will not be without purpose," the elder assured his son, "For this ritual has a very good chance of unleashing Dark as well."

"Then what's the point? If there's a risk in releasing Dark..." Satoshi studied the man across from him for a moment, before reaching the obvious conclusion, "You're completely insane."

As if on cue, he laughed, "Insane? Why ever do you say that?"

"You're obsessed with Krad, you don't care what becomes of it, you just want him back." The blue-eyed boy wrinkled his nose in distaste at the thought of someone being obsessed with Krad.

"So what if I do? That man knows how to think and get things done."

"He's not a man," Satoshi stated, "he's a monster."

"He's perfect, a much better son that _you _ever amounted to be." The look of stunned hatred was cut short as the limo stopped. Satoshi looked to see his father smiling that evil smile once again, "Have fun with the Niwa brat, but don't be too late, we'll need to get started soon before something comes up."

"If you think I'd agree to something like this, you _must _be insane."

A chuckle answered him as the door swung open, "Perhaps, but I wonder how happy your dear _Daisuke _would be if his precious Dark could return to him?"

Satoshi froze in mid-action of climbing out of the vehicle. His ice blue eyes traveled slowly back to his adoptive father. He stared at him for a long moment before exiting the limo and standing with his back to him. "Perhaps Krad could have pulled it off and convinced me," he said finally, "but as much as you wish it, you're nothing like him. I won't be bought by your petty bribes. If you want Krad back, you'll have to do it alone."

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Satoshi made his way into the park, thoughts of how happy Daisuke really _would _be floating through his head. Still, he wouldn't be manipulated by anyone but Krad, and that was only because the psychotic angel held a place in his heart-- a rotten, vile place that no one should ever step foot on, but a place nonetheless. The only comfort he had was the angry slam of the limousine door as his rejected father drove off and left him to find his friend.

* * *

Uh oh, now Satoshi's the one with anguish. Whatever will he do? Keep Daisuke suffering, when he knows he could do something, or keep Krad sealed up? And don't forget, Satoshi might also (in some deep, dark corner of his soul) want Krad back as well. Hope you enjoyed! 


	3. Return From the Dark

Sorry this took so long to get out, but gah! Happy birthday killah-sama! I hope you have fun and get whatever you might think up in your messed-up head to want. XD, I command you all to go and check her out, if you don't know her already. And if you do... go review her fics. It's her birthday, damn it, show some love! XD, enjoy!

RedEyed Wolf-2nd: Glad you liked it so much. Seeing as how this is a gift, I'm really struggling to keep everyone in character, so it won't turn out crap. And whether the fangirls like it or not, Satoshi _isn't _Mr. Nice-and-loveable. Thanks for reviewing!

Violet Garnets: XD, you flatter me.. it makes me want to run and hide. I always love relationships like Krad and Satoshi's, where Krad's just using Satoshi for his own means, and while Satoshi knows he shouldn't help Krad out, in a sense, he can't help but feel some sick and twisted connection to him. It leads to great mental turmoil, and makes for fun writing indeed. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: See how I feel? Now I shall compliment you forever on how great and wonderful you are and how much I love you and make you blush and want to run away XD. And of course you want both, who wouldn't? XD, I'm not fond of Kei, either, but he makes for a good evil guy. I toyed with the idea of actually making Daisuke leave, but then I thought 'well, that just won't do, hell, Satoshi'd just end up tracking him down and dragging him back' XD, thanks for reviewing!

sHiNiGaMi-ArAsHi1412: Yeah, it's post-series, but (and check wikipedia if you don't believe me) it was never confirmed his father died. And, this is a pet peeve of mine, but please don't use what I'm going to call 'words' like 'u' and 'n'. Proper English, please, it's not hard.

ryka phoenix: Yay, I'm glad you think Satoshi's acting in character as well. It's such a huge paranoia of mine that I'm making characters OOC, you have no idea. And Daisuke will shape up and act like his happy self here in a little bit. Not this chapter, but soon. XD, he's just going through his angsty phase right now. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Hey," Satoshi greeted softly as he approached the sitting boy.

Daisuke looked up from his place on the bench and offered a small smile that quickly faded, "I'm glad you came."

Satoshi chuckled lightly-- a strange sound, to say the least, "I'm glad you stayed."

Daisuke nodded, "That makes two of us." He closed his eyes and attempted to retrieve a moment's peace from the cold world, but it was to no avail. No matter how much he tried to relax, he always felt vulnerable now that Dark was gone. Even with Satoshi next to him, even with Krad gone, he knew that something could happen and he'd be powerless to stop it. With Dark had gone all his self-confidence, and while he still maintained the skills he always had, he was unsure of every step he took, unable to tell if it was ever in the right direction.

A silence fell between the two, and to Daisuke, it felt very awkward. He had called Satoshi from school for what? To sit here with him and offer emotional support? That wasn't the kind of person the bluenette was, and Daisuke doubted Satoshi's thoughts were centered around helping him cope.

Indeed, Satoshi wasn't thinking of helping Daisuke cope at all, but was more fixated on what his father had said. Everything that had led up to this point seemed predetermined, and Krad's return would only solidify the grand scheme of things. Good had, in a sense, won over evil in the last round, but evil always has a way of returning. Then again, whenever the villain rises again, does the hero not return to save the people once more? Even if Dark did return with Krad, the fact remained that the blonde would still be back in action. Even if his goals were the same as ever, he would cause danger not only to Satoshi, but to Daisuke as well.

Luckily for Satoshi, he had never become dependent on Krad's voice of unreasoning and was able to make decisions on his own. He knew that he had to stop his father from bringing about Krad's return, but the weary look on his friend's face stopped him from agreeing with that choice totally.

_"I don't want Krad back, no matter what, but I have the chance to make Daisuke happy again." _He knew that it would be impossible to retrieve Dark without getting Krad in return-- things never worked out that well for the hero. He sighed to himself and hung his head, closing his eyes. Things where Krad were concerned were always difficult, but usually the path was clearly marked. Usually, Satoshi could go against the angel with everything he had and didn't have to worry about making the wrong decision. This time, though, his conscience ripped him apart and he couldn't tell what he should do. Perhaps he had been wrong, perhaps Krad _had _helped him like he claimed to have all those times. After all, whatever choice his other half rooted for, Satoshi knew to walk the opposite way.

"I'm sorry," Daisuke said suddenly, drawing Satoshi's attention, "I shouldn't have called you out here."

Satoshi shook his head and sat next to his friend, "It's alright, it's not like I actually _need _school."

"I know, you just want to see what it's like to be a normal teenager." Satoshi nearly jumped when Daisuke laughed at his own words, "But you're not, are you? Neither of us are. We can pretend like we have a normal life and normal friends, but anyone who holds a secret like ours can't possibly be normal, can we?"

"Krad always said that I was different, that I was special, and I always believed him, but I never believed it to be a good thing. I always thought of myself as alienated from the rest of the world because they couldn't possibly understand what I was." At this point, Satoshi offered Daisuke a rare, fond look, "But then I realized that everything Krad was saying-- that I was a freak, that no one would ever understand me, that I'd be alone forever-- was all just to keep me submissive and compliant with his ways."

"So...you don't think that anymore?" Daisuke wondered, "Even though so few people know the truth and you are kind of...solitary?"

"No, because I used to be alone because I was afraid of what people would think. I didn't want to trust anyone and tell them all my secrets and have them hate me and leave. That's why I only stayed around people that already knew, regardless of their intentions with me."

"So why do you stay alone now?" It would seem that if he no longer feared getting close, that it would be senseless to keep his distance.

"Because I realized that I _am _different, but it's not a bad thing, and all the others couldn't possibly understand me. That's alright, though, because I really don't _want _them to, I'm content with no one knowing my secrets." He glanced at Daisuke, "And those that do are the ones I'm close to."

_"He sounds like he thinks he's better than everyone else just because he had Krad inside of him," _Daisuke thought, frowning slightly. If anything, he sounded more like Krad than Krad ever did.

Not noticing his friend's hesitation, Satoshi continued, "So even if it's only you that knows, that's alright. I'm not like you, Daisuke, you're right, I don't want or need a lot of people around me."

"Because of how you grew up," the redhead confirmed, "you grew up alone and distanced, so now that's how you prefer it?"

Satoshi nodded, "Just like you grew up with your family and friends, I grew up without any of that," he added at Daisuke's deepening frown, "but don't feel bad for me. I'm used to it, and I don't really know anything else. Just like you can't imagine being alone, I can't imagine being around people, it's not an appealing thought at all."

"But you're around me," Daisuke argued, "And you don't mind me."

"You're an exception," the bluenette told him, "You already know about Krad and you don't care. No one else is like that."

"Not even your father?" Daisuke couldn't even imagine how miserable he'd be if his family didn't accept him because of something out of his control.

"My... father is different," Satoshi said with a hint of disgust in his voice, "He only ever showed an interest in me _because _of Krad. He was convinced that Krad was the answer to everything."

"So now that Krad's gone..."

"He's..." Satoshi trailed off, frowning, _"He's planning on bringing him back." _But he couldn't tell Daisuke that. Then again, if his father _did _succeed in bringing his 'favorite son' back and Dark came with him, Satoshi would have a lot of explaining to do, for he would be sure Daisuke would know he knew about it on some level.

"We should talk about something else," the Niwa suggested, seeing Satoshi hesitate and figuring he didn't want to talk about his father-- even if Satoshi said he didn't like him, it was still likely that the fact that his father wanted nothing to do with him hurt.

"Have you eaten recently?"

Daisuke shook his head and, feeling a bit better now that he'd talked with Satoshi, stood up, "No, maybe we should find something to eat."

"Yeah," he agreed, standing up, "Come on, I know a place that won't care that we're skipping school." Daisuke chuckled (almost laughed) and nodded, following the taller boy out of the park.

---

It was late when Satoshi got home, nearly eight o'clock. He and Daisuke had gone to eat and then spent hours simply talking or sitting in a (for once) comfortable silence. When he walked through the door, he expected a multitude of things: His father sitting there, waiting for him to return so he could try and persuade him again; an empty house, cold and dark, forbidding his entrance but allowing it anyway; the smell of cigarettes drifting in from the parlor and the low murmur of his father's voice, speaking to someone on the phone. Any of that would have been normal and welcoming. However, what he got, a knife to the stomach, was definitely not what he expected and it was most certainly not normal or welcoming.

He looked up to see his father standing over his now-kneeling form, smiling maliciously. Satoshi knew from that smile that only one thing could have happened-- he found a way to return Krad to their world. Satoshi had expected him to, fate wasn't so kind as to allow him to be at peace for the rest of his life, but he hadn't expected him to so _quickly_. It had been mere hours ago that the older man had left in a flourish of scowls and curses because Satoshi had denied him a vessel.

A vessel which, with the stab of one particular blade, he now had. As everything went black for Satoshi, a golden-white light enveloped him and he fell away to unconsciousness. His father leaned over his form and chuckled as the light faded away to reveal not his unwanted son, but a blonde angel with closed eyes. Krad had returned.

"Sorry, _son_," the older man sneered to the no longer there Satoshi, "but I'm sticking with Krad."

---

Satoshi woke hours later, though he couldn't be sure quite what time it was as everything around him was dark. He knew what it was like to be in Krad's mind, and this wasn't it. Golden platforms that twisted and turned and a bright set of shimmering stairs leading up to a black cross were unfamiliar to him. He slowly stood and jumped along the path with no other option but to reach the stairs.

Once he reached them, he looked to the cross again and realized that it wasn't a cross at all, but the Black Wings statue and two, limp arms hanging across it. Those arms belonged to none other than an unconscious Dark, who had been pinned to the statue with pure white feathers.

Frowning, Satoshi ran up the long staircase and stopped a few feet away from his old enemy. He approached the thief carefully, "Dark?" No response came, as he had expected. He turned his gaze to the feathers and reached out to touch one. The moment his fingertips brushed the first feather, pinned through Dark's left arm, the bit of wing disappeared into a bright and fleeting light. Blinking, Satoshi looked at his hand, then to Dark, then to the remaining four feathers (one on each leg, his remaining arm, and one through his chest). Without much hesitation, he dissipated the three feathers pinning the kaitou's limbs.

He stared at the remaining feather and reached out to it, _"Krad's already been released. There can be no harm in bringing Dark back." _With that assurance, he grabbed the last feather and watched as it disappeared like all the rest. Dark's body fell forward and as Satoshi caught him and laid him down, a white light shot from his chest, upward and out of sight. Blue eyes watched after it for a moment before a movement near him caught his attention.

Dark stirred and opened his violet eyes, blinking a few times before looking to Satoshi, "Hm... Hiwatari-kun?"

The bluenette nodded, not sure how Dark would take his presence. After all, nearly every time Dark had seen Satoshi before, he had changed into Krad and tried to kill him. "Where are we?"

"Inside the Black Wings," the thief replied, not at all fazed by the boy's appearance, "Where is Krad and how did you get in here?"

"Krad is..." Satoshi sighed, "He's been resurrected. It's why I released you."

Dark blinked a few times before smacking Satoshi in the head, "Baka! Idiot! How could you do that, you stupid kid?!"

Startled, Satoshi fell backwards and stared at Dark, "What are you talking about? Did you _wish _to stay pinned up here while Krad went and did as he pleased?"

Dark sighed and stood up. He took a moment to stretch before he looked at Satoshi again, "Krad's soul was here with me, the only thing that was brought back to your world was his body." Satoshi didn't see the harm in any of this until Dark spoke his next words, "Until you released me, and Krad as well."

* * *

Uh oh, Satoshi made a no-no. XD, I'm saying 'uh oh' a lot lately when it comes to Satoshi. But he's been messing up a lot, hasn't he? Hopefully he can fix it all, but not likely. Poor him, but he is fun to torture. Hope you enjoyed! 


	4. Rushed Decisions and Uncertain Feelings

Ah, so I'm _not _dead...look at that. Sorry for the delay, but...well, yeah, I'm lazy. Regardless, here is the next chapter. And, oh dear, more mental torture for damn near everyone. Enjoy!

killah-sama: Oh, you're not an ass at all. Don't worry, I procrastinated in the writing of this. And I find it very creepy that Kei is obsessed with Krad as well, but I also find it very fitting... and who knows? It's Kei, he might. XD, poor Satoshi, getting shanked in the stomach, and... he gets it again! Alright, not really, but kind of... you'll see. Satoshi keeps making no-nos, but he did make a smart move in this chapter.. maybe. It _seems _smart, but when is anything as it seems? XD, thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: Ah, but you _are _great, and you shall be told so on a regular basis from now on. XD, I love Kei as evil, he makes the best evil figure ever. Thanks for reviewing!

kahuffstix: Nope, it's never a good thing when Krad and Kei are involved in it together. I'm glad you like it so far. Thanks for reviewing!

Violet Garnets: Sappiness is so overrated and not fun at all to write unless you're in that mood. Angst, on the other hand, is always fun to write. Er... it's not a word so I can hide from it, ha! Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Krad opened his eyes to see a darkened room and a silhouetted figure against the moon-lit window. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the man was Kei Hiwatari, and a grin immediately spread across his lips. He sat up and stretched, allowing his wings to break free and flex a few times. The movement drew Kei's attention and he glanced in Krad's direction.

"Have a nice nap?"

The blonde angel chuckled slightly, "Actually, I did, though it was a bit long."

The older-looking man shrugged, "Well, we're both lucky to be here, all things considered."

"Luck?" Krad scoffed, "I don't know about you, but there was no 'luck' in bringing me back."

"You're well-versed in your own resurrection," Kei remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dark and I were born of that horrid thing," the blonde reminded him, "Of course we know all its little tricks and secrets."

"And yet you got trapped in there."

Krad scowled, "Shut up." He stood and walked to the window, "I'm going out."

"There is one bit of bad news-" Kei began, but was cut off.

"I don't need anymore bad news, tell me later." Before the bespectacled man could voice a complaint, Krad had thrown open the window and stepped onto the ledge, "It's been so long since I've been able to have a body without fighting Satoshi back, I'm going to have a little fun."

Kei sighed as Krad flew off and shook his head, "Idiot." If he didn't find a body to attach himself to soon, he would be sealed within the Black Wings once more. This time, it would be for good.

---

"I...released Krad's soul?" Satoshi was sure he had heard wrong-- after all, he couldn't have possibly made _that _big of a mistake.

"Yes." Right, he was Satoshi Hiwatari, he _could _have possibly and probably did make _that _big of a mistake. Dark sighed, "And now we have to find a way to get out of here before it's too late."

"Too late? Is something else happening?"

"Not exactly, but if Kei used the spell I think he did to release Krad and I..." A quick glance at Satoshi's wounded stomach told him that it was very possible.

"What spell?" Satoshi studied Dark's face for a moment, confused, "Dark?"

"It's a kind of double-edged thing," the purple-haired boy finally said, "He gets released from the Black Wings with his own body, no need for a tamer. In return, he has twenty-four hours to find a host that will allow him to take complete control of them, or he'll be sealed back in the Black Wings forever."

"But the same goes for you, right?" Satoshi asked, "Since you both were released?"

Dark nodded a confirmation, "Yes, though I feel it will be easier for him to find a host."

"Why?" It would seem that Dark would have the upper hand there-- he already had Daisuke or Risa that would gladly let him, and Krad had no one that even liked him besides- "Kei."

Dark nodded, "Our only hope is that we find Krad before anything happens."

Satoshi would have been more than willing to agree, but he couldn't ignore the reality of the situation, "Dark?"

"Hm?"

"How are we going to _get _to Krad? He's kind of _out there _and we're kind of _in here_."

Dark contemplated this issue for a brief second before nodding his agreement and scooping Satoshi up as if he were a bride, "Good observation, but no worries, I'll get us out of here."

Ignoring the fact that Dark sounded like a corny superhero, Satoshi squirmed in his arms, "Put me down."

"Well, unless you can fly, I just can't do that," Dark informed him. Satoshi made no further comment, but sulked at being handled in such a manner. The phantom thief chuckled to himself and looked up to the darkened abyss above him, "With!"

Ice blue eyes watched as the small rabbit-like creature appeared out of nowhere. Even in a place like this, the powers that bound Dark to his familiar stayed strong. With made a happy sound at the sight of Dark, alive and well, and immediately transformed into a pair of feathery, black wings and attached himself onto the kaitou's back.

Satoshi was used to the sensation of flying, being Krad's tamer, but never like this. Usually he was _in _the body that was soaring up through the air, not having to put his trust in the one doing the soaring. He didn't believe Dark would just drop him, but accidents happened and Dark had never liked him anyway, for more than one reason. If they ran into Krad, Satoshi was sure to be knocked from his perch in the violet-haired boy's arms and that just would not bode well for him.

Dark, however, didn't seem concerned with anything other than pulling a feather from what must have been some hidden compartment in his clothing. He took the delicate object and held it above his head, slicing through the darkness as he flew higher and higher up. A bright light followed the magical feather and broke through the darkness like a shattered mirror. The pieces of the Black Wings began to crumble away until the two were flying through the night sky above their city.

Satoshi looked down in amazement. Even after all he had seen, nothing could have prepared him for escaping a piece of art. Dark watched the bluenette, amused at his fascination-- didn't he know that without him, the angel would have been trapped there forever? He might be in tune with the Hikari's artwork, but Satoshi _was _a Hikari; he had powers of his own, whether he knew it or not.

"We have to find Krad," Dark spoke the only objective on his mind.

Satoshi nodded slightly, but his thoughts were as much of Daisuke as they were of Krad. He knew they had to stop his ex-angel, but he also knew he wanted to make sure Krad hadn't gone after him first thing. Still, he doubted voicing his opinion would do much good: If Dark was anything like Krad, the only thing that mattered was what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it.

"You can't very well fight him carrying me around," the younger boy pointed out. He was also a bit uncomfortable with being carted around by his old enemy.

"Agreed. Where do you want me to-"

"Look," Satoshi cut him off, pointing across the night sky to a light-colored figure that was whipping through the air, scanning the streets for something. Satoshi had the sinking feeling that something was him.

"He's already on the move," Dark muttered, "Chances are he's already inhabited Kei's body. If that's the case, I'll be at a serious disadvantage."

"If he hasn't?" Satoshi wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he thought that once Krad had taken over his step-father's body, something would change about him.

"Then the fight will be fair." One thing Dark and Krad shared was their distaste of a fair fight. They both had a way to gain an advantage, but it was easier said than done. The only person Dark could attach himself to right now was Daisuke; going after anyone else would require explaining, which would take up time he didn't have. Then again, finding and reuniting with Daisuke might take longer.

"Let me down," Satoshi said suddenly, "You need a body to take over, right? If I can find Daisuke-"

"No," Dark cut him off, firmly, "I don't want Daisuke to get his hopes up, hearing I'm back, if I'm just rushing to my death."

"So to not tell him you're back at all is better? What if this is the last time he gets to see you? None of us got to say goodbye, you know."

Dark raised an eyebrow, wondering why Satoshi of all people would want to say goodbye to anyone. It wasn't to him or Daisuke, which only left Krad, and if Satoshi regretted not being able to say his farewells to that psycho, perhaps he wasn't as trustworthy as Dark thought. The black-clad boy shook his head as he descended towards the streets, "I don't want him knowing I'm back, not yet. If we see each other now, it'll be rushed and we'll be back in the same body just like that."

"You only have a day," Satoshi reminded him, "You can't go running around trying to kill homicidal idiots for too long or you'll end up right back where you were."

"I'll take my chances."

Images flashed through Satoshi's mind of Daisuke-- saddened and defeated, lost without Dark. He didn't know why, but the Niwa boy had an impossibly strong attraction to his angel, and if Satoshi could help it, he wouldn't let that tie be severed again. He was still unsure of everything, but he was positive that even though he didn't know for certain, what he was doing was the right thing. He grabbed Dark's arm as the latter went to face Krad, "Wait."

"Now you're telling me to wait?" the thief wondered, "Make up your mind."

"You need a body, right? Someone that will let you take over and not resist you?"

Violet eyes looked Satoshi up and down carefully, "Yes, and?"

"Take mine." The cold look in his frozen orbs told Dark that no wasn't an answer. Satoshi was a bit terrified to let his enemy occupy his body, and he wasn't sure what would happen or if he'd ever see Daisuke again, but he knew that if Daisuke had to choose between Dark and Satoshi, that the former would make him happier. He could live without Satoshi, but Dark had left an imprint on him that no one else could. The bluenette ignored the small bubble of jealousy that rose within him at the thought of this-- Daisuke was more important than his petty emotions.

"You're sure?" Dark had plenty of reservations about the offer, but times were desperate and if he could get the upper hand on Krad now, he didn't want anything stopping him.

Satoshi nodded silently, unable to speak any longer. He knew what he was doing was right, it just wasn't what he wanted. Dark, oblivious to this fact nodded as well and pulled out another feather. He closed his eyes and muttered an incantation of sorts before the object between his fingers glowed and he became a burst of black light that whizzed around for a moment before shooting in through the wound in Satoshi's stomach.

The blue-eyed boy grimaced and clutched a hand over the spot, letting out a startled shout. It was enough, and as he looked up to the skies, he saw golden eyes locked with his. Krad had pinpointed his location and it seemed to please him too much for his own good.

"Dark, hurry up," Satoshi muttered, biting back the pain as he always had with Krad.

_"Give me a minute, I'm not used to your body," _Dark said, annoyed, in his head. The familiar sensation of hearing another's voice without seeing their lips move or their face in front of his did little to calm his nerves.

"I don't think Krad's willing to _wait _a minute," the once more tamer hissed back, stepping in retreat as his ex-angel landed in front of him.

"And here I thought it would be difficult to find you," the golden-haired boy sneered, "My dear Satoshi, I do owe you thanks for freeing me."

"I didn't free you," Satoshi growled through gritted teeth. Being face-to-face with Krad stirred more emotions in him than he was comfortable with-- hate, anger, rage, but also nostalgia and longing.

"Accidental or not, you _were _the key in setting my soul free." Krad cast a glance to the bloody wound that stained his shirt, "Oh, but you got hurt in doing so."

"Shut up," the younger boy snapped, "Don't pretend like you care about my well-being." More than that, Satoshi didn't want to hear such words from Krad. He had never been _strong _when it came to the homicidal boy, but to think that the one person that had made his life hell and affected him so (not in a good way, but affected nonetheless) cared for him was too much to handle. Satoshi often was positive that he was as unstable as Krad, and wasn't fond of his emotions being played with.

"Oh, but I do," Krad insisted, reaching a hand out to graze his fingertips along the wound. Satoshi was frozen to the spot, heart beating rapidly with the touch. Despite their connection, Satoshi had never been able to feel Krad's touch. He had imagined it to be cold and hard, but it was almost _soft _and _warm_. Nothing like his personality. The caress was as caring as the fake words he carelessly threw about.

"Don't..." Satoshi managed, but it was in such a whisper that he barely even heard himself.

Krad chuckled, his fingers stained red with his ex-tamer's blood, "I do care," he repeated, and in a flash dug his nails into the wound, causing Satoshi to double over and grasp his wrist in an attempt to pry him off. "I care so much that I want you to die."

"St-stop," he choked out, _"Dark! Hurry up!"_

As if on command, Satoshi's hair grew longer and darkened to a shade of deep purple in sync with his eyes. His limbs stretched until he was as tall as Krad, the clothes Satoshi had worn now too small on him and looking ridiculous. Dark couldn't be concerned with that right now, as his hands that had previously been Satoshi's gripped Krad's wrist tighter and pushed him away. Dark knew Satoshi had had the strength to fend himself against Krad, but not the will. The fact that he was bending to both angels' wills was enough to solidify the belief that he was confused beyond all reason about everything that was going on.

"Dark?" Krad snarled, "What is this?"

"Looks like I found a body before you," the dark angel chuckled confidently.

Krad's golden eyes surveyed his enemy rapidly, "How did this happen? Satoshi is _mine_."

"Not anymore, he chose me."

The psychotic boy tried to think the words through, but couldn't fully comprehend them, "No," he stated, "He would not betray me for the likes of _you_!"

"Seems he's not as wrapped around your finger as you thought." Upon pulling out a third feather, Dark charged at his nemesis, bent on destroying him for good this time.

Krad, however, had other ideas and immediately took flight, backing away from the other boy. He didn't know that in his current state he didn't possess his full powers, but he also didn't care. His mind was still scrambling to wrap around the fact that Satoshi was no longer available to take over. Satoshi was _his_, not Dark's. Satoshi wouldn't betray him, he was loyal to him, he couldn't survive without him. When had his tamer grown a backbone? Krad wasn't sure, but he knew, somehow, it was Dark's fault. He also knew, somehow, that Dark would pay for it.

Amethyst eyes watched as the white-clad angel soared further and further away from him. As he went to take chase, he spoke to Satoshi, "I didn't think he would be so bent on claiming you." No response came and Dark furrowed his brow, "Satoshi?" Still no response. Panic seized him and he halted in his progress; his feet touched back down to earth and the feather disappeared in a burst of light, "Satoshi, answer me." When silence came a third time, Dark looked back to the sky to see that Krad had vanished. If he was pissed at Dark, there were only a few outlets for his anger, and the most likely (seeing as how Dark had taken _his _tamer) was Daisuke. With an annoyingly large amount of worry in his heart, Dark took to the skies again, this time in search of his own home.

---

Daisuke shifted in his bed, unable to sleep. There were few nights when he couldn't rest, and never had it been so difficult to fall asleep. Thoughts of what he had almost done today plagued his conscience. Now that he thought about it, how could he have possibly been so selfish? He already knew his entire family was worried about him, and now he was thinking of abandoning them? He had never once thought he could think of himself so much and have so much disregard for the people he loved. He frowned, and thought to go out now and apologize, but knew that waking them all up would be more hassle than it was worth. After all, he would have the morning to speak his thoughts.

And Riku, what of her? Did she mean so little to him that he would disappear without a mere goodbye or an explanation? Risa and Saehara as well. What had he been thinking? Guilt weighed down on him so heavy that his mind wouldn't sit still long enough to even allow him a moment's rest. His body was in the same boat, and he couldn't stop fidgeting. He wanted to badly to yell or cry or run away, at least to just _run_, but he feared that if he started, he would let his fears consume him and he would turn back.

He sighed and sat up in his bed, not noticing an ominous shadow shifting outside his window. With thoughts of a warm glass of milk and a midnight snack to settle his nerves in mind, he climbed out of bed and left his room, closing the door behind him.

In the kitchen, Daisuke set to work on fixing a sandwich when a knock sounded at the door. Confused as to who could be coming this late at night, he hesitated in leaving the kitchen to answer it. Just as his fingers grazed the doorknob, a crash sounded from none other than his own room. Alarmed, he spun around and stared down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. He looked between the hallway and the front door for the longest time before leaving the living room and slowly making his way back to his own bedroom.

* * *

I had fun with this chapter, I'll admit. But holy crap I had a hell of a time with it. First, my word processing program freaked, and I hadn't saved any of it, so I lost all that I had written. Then, my laptop decided to randomly restart on it's own to install updates and again, I hadn't saved, so I lost everything I wrote a _second _time. The third time I started writing it, I wrote the first scene again and then lost interest. But, then I read dear killah-sama's 'The Other Side' and got inspired to finish it. She's good for inspiration, you know that? Which is a _very _good reason to go and **read her fics**. (cough) Also, she's an awesome writer and just all around lovely.

Anyway, about the actual fic... who do you think is at the door? And who was at the window? Did Daisuke make the right choice? Guess we'll find out whenever I update. Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Switched Bodies or Switched Hearts?

TT, I'm sorry... I reallyreallyreallyreally am...really. Evil work grabbed me and wouldn't let me go for several days in a row. I hope this chapter makes up for it, though. And there's even a little humor thrown in. Enjoy!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: XD, you think that's bad, just wait for this chapter...And wouldn't you know it? My laptop restarted again when I tried to write this chapter..(turned off automatic updates) XD, should have thought of that sooner. Thanks for reviewing!

Violet Garnets: It's alright, I usually see what people guess and then do the opposite anyway.. and by opposite I mean something completely random that no one would ever think of to do XD. Thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: Of course! Satoshi's a bishie, they always get the best situaions. Well, he'll do -something- to Daisuke.. and probably not the something you're thinking. O.o... and not a lusty affair with Kei.. gods, that would be scarring and humorous. And you're talking to him because he's insane and makes you insane as well. Thanks for reviewing!

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Daisuke slowly entered his room, and immediately noticed that something wasn't right. It didn't feel like it was just him, like there was someone else watching from the deepened shadows, waiting for him to turn his back. He paused at the doorway, looking around, but saw no one. He quietly ventured towards the window that just happened to be open. Someone _had _broken in, which meant someone _was _in there with him. He thought of the mystery stranger at the door, and wondered if the break-and-enterer had an accomplice.

Just as he was turning from closing his window, a glint of silver metal caught his eye. Before he could react (which was surprising in itself), a small metal object was thrust at him, stopping inches before his face. Daisuke stumbled back in surprise and fell to the floor, looking up at the intruder. He sweatdropped and looked the boy up and down, "Saehara-kun? What are you doing here?"

The brunette reporter withdrew his microphone and sighed, "I'm here for him, obviously. Why didn't you tell me, Niwa-kun?"

Confused, Daisuke tilted his head, "Him who?" Who would his friend be looking for in his room besides... well, him?

"Honestly, sometimes you can be so..." Takeshi shook his head, "The one, the one, Kaitou Dark, obviously!"

The name sent a shock through the redhead, who froze on the spot from standing up. He looked back to Takeshi quickly, making sure he had heard the boy right, _"Dark? How does he know about that? Hiwa- Satoshi-kun wouldn't have told him and no one else but my family knows." _The thought that perhaps Dark had returned and then Takeshi saw him ran fleeting through Daisuke's head, but was quickly dismissed. If Dark had returned, surely the first thing he would do was find Daisuke.

Then, the strange knock at the door resonated in his head like a drill. Without saying a word to his best friend, Daisuke dashed out of his room and to the front door. He paused at the door, hand shaking slightly as it hovered above the doorknob. Anticipation surged through his veins as his fingers grazed the doorknob. He hesitated for a brief moment, gathering his bearings, and in one, quick, fluid motion swung open the door.

The sight greeting the schoolboy made him stumble back once more, though this time (thankfully), he caught his balance and remained only staring wide-eyed at the angel opposite him. The two watched each other for what felt like forever until Daisuke finally spoke his name, voice trembling, "Krad."

The blonde half-grinned, half-sneered at his enemy's ex-tamer and stalked across the threshold, cat-like eyes watching Daisuke's every movement. His voice, when he spoke, had remained unchanged other than a little more insane that previously. "Oh, Dai-chan, I didn't expect to see _you _here," Krad laughed, "but I suppose it's just as well."

"How? No... you can't be here." Daisuke shook his head, certain that perhaps he was dreaming or just hallucinating, "You were sealed in the Black Wings."

"Was," the golden-eyed boy agreed, "but now I'm free. Too bad your poor Dark didn't make it out with me."

Daisuke's stomach flipped and he suddenly felt sick. The sight of Krad and what Takeshi had said made the Niwa boy almost certain that Dark had returned as well. However, if Krad was here and Dark wasn't, then he really had no hope of making it out of the encounter in one piece. Shaking his head, Daisuke tried to think of anything but impending doom. "Why are you here, Krad? What do you want with me? If Dark's gone, then shouldn't you be harassing someone else?"

"Well, you see, Dark _was _gone. That is, until your pesky little playmate decided to release him."

_"Pesky little...Satoshi freed Dark?" _A million reasons could have gone into that action, but whatever his motive, Daisuke was extremely grateful that Satoshi had done what he'd done. At least with Dark back, he could stand a chance against Krad and they could be one again.

The angel sighed and crossed his arms, "First thing that bastard did, too, was inhabit _my _Satoshi's body. The nerve of some people..."

Daisuke blinked a few times, "Wait...what? Dark...how?"

Golden eyes rolled and Krad waved a hand, carelessly, "Ask him, he's the prick that did it. Now I'm left without a tamer. Then again," a glance was cast to Daisuke, "that's exactly why I came here."

Frowning, the redhead immediately took a defensive step back, "You're insane, aren't you? I mean I knew you were crazy, but you're absolutely insane to think that I'd agree to that."

Considering these words, Krad nodded, "Yes, yes I am. However, I also don't think you'll get a choice in the matter. After all, my will overpowers yours, hands down. Besides, who are you saving that body for now, hm? Certainly not Dark." Krad chuckled as a mysterious glint flashed through his eyes, "And even Satoshi's out of the running now."

A crimson blush flashed across Daisuke's face, "I don't know what you mean."

Confidently, Krad strode over to the shorter boy, ignoring the tense presence of the other, "Oh, but I think you do." He leaned down to whisper in Daisuke's ear, their cheeks brushing each other, "Tell me you don't want to have Satoshi in your bed, waking up every morning beside him... writhing every night under him..."

The blush deepened and Daisuke yanked away from the other boy, "You've no idea what you're talking about, Satoshi-kun is my friend, I don't have thoughts like that about him."

An eyebrow quirked, "Quite familiar for someone we're not fantasizing about, aren't we?"

"He told me to call him that," Daisuke said, defensively. He was avoiding Krad's gaze, and missed the hint of jealousy that flashed in those golden eyes.

"Regardless, you're blushing about the mere thought of sleeping with him. Not only are you very much a virgin, but you've got a crush on him."

"Th-that's not true, you're talking about embarrassing things, anyone would blush!"

Krad chuckled, "I'm not blushing."

"Of course you aren't, you're too crude and impolite to be that humble." Insulting the homicidal boy probably wasn't the best course of action, but talking seemed to be stalling him from whatever he planned to do. Every moment he stalled was another moment that Dark had to reach them. Giving, of course, that Dark was even coming.

"Impolite? I think I've expressed great manners here tonight. I knocked on the door and I haven't even killed you." Sighing, Krad shook his head, "Even when you try to be civil, they just pass you off as an insane, dangerous, evil guy."

Daisuke sweatdropped, "But... you _are _an insane, dangerous, evil guy... that talks to himself."

Krad crossed his arms and studied Daisuke, "You know..."

Feeling he'd stepped over the line, the redhead retreated mentally to the back of the room, "Um...?"

"Dark _was _a part of you, every time you spoke to him, you were talking to yourself."

Hanging his head, Daisuke started to wonder what Krad had really come there for. If it was just to take over his body, wouldn't that have already been accomplished? No, instead he was standing there, _talking_... and not only to himself. "Krad, what do you want?"

"World domination," the blonde suggested, "But short term? A body."

A body. Not necessarily _his _body. But still, "Why did you come here, then? Why do you want me so badly? Revenge because Dark took Satoshi?"

"Hm...something along those lines." His golden eyes looked to Daisuke, quizzically, "What if I make you a deal?"

"Why would I make a deal with you?" Daisuke wondered, "I don't trust you and you have horrible intentions."

Krad considered this and nodded, "True, but I'm willing to give a little to get a little."

This 'deal' had trap written all over it, but Daisuke was still willing (more like _hoping_) to believe that Krad could keep his word and, under his exterior, be a trustworthy person. "What kind of deal?"

Krad grinned slightly, not bothering to hide his malicious smirk, "You let me use your body, and I won't attack Dark."

Belief and faith thrown out the window, Daisuke's heart jumped into his throat. He knew Krad would request the use of his body, but he'd never expected the other boy to promise not to attack Dark in return. "You never answered... why do you want to use me so badly? You could have anyone you wanted."

"If I'm with you, Dark won't come after me. I get to stay here and have protection from that bastard."

Daisuke had a feeling that Krad wasn't being totally forthcoming with his reasons, but if he could keep Dark safe, then he wouldn't disagree with it. Slowly, he nodded his consent, "Alright, I'll do it."

As Krad and Daisuke became one in the other room, Takeshi remained in the redhead's room, wide-eyed. _"I can't believe it... Daisuke's with someone? And it sounds like Dark is involved as well! I thought for sure he was with Harada-san... wait until everyone at school hears about _this_." _With that thought in mind, and plenty of scribbled notes and silently flashed pictures, Saehara disappeared out through Daisuke's window.

---

After several more attempts to stir Satoshi, Dark decided to give up hope on the unconscious boy and head toward his old home for good. He had hoped to wake Satoshi by the time they arrived, but knew then that he had to face explaining everything on his own. It wasn't long before he knew exactly where he was, and only ten minutes after that before he landed gracefully in front of his house. He had the odd urge to knock, but shook it off and stepped through the doorway.

In his absence, it seemed that nothing had changed. The furniture hadn't been moved and though there were no active traps around, purple eyes grazed over hints of tripwire and false floor paneling. He stepped carefully around anything that might alert the household to his presence and walked the familiar steps to Daisuke's (and his former) room. The door gave a soft creak as it was opened, and Dark hesitated to make sure there was no rustling inside. When he deemed it safe, he pushed the door the rest of the way open and slipped inside the shadow-filled bedroom.

Once inside, purple eyes scanned the lump in the bed that Dark knew must be Daisuke. A small breath of relief escaped him-- if Daisuke was still sound asleep, that meant Krad couldn't have come here yet. As long as he was here, Dark knew he could protect Daisuke from his lighter reflection.

Dark stood by his ex-tamer's bed for what felt like an eternity, simply watching the young boy sleep. One thing he doubted would ever change-- Daisuke was certainly a heavy sleeper. He was so fixated on the rounded face that he failed to notice the rise and fall of his chest wasn't that of a normal sleeping boy's. It was, in fact, much shallower, as if he were knocked unconscious by a mysterious force.

Dark raised a hand to Daisuke's head, but withdrew it at the last moment. Even if he didn't wake the boy, he was afraid that if he pulled him too closely now, he wouldn't want to let go. As much as Daisuke missed Dark, Dark had always _needed _Daisuke. Their feelings for each other hadn't been mutual, but they had both been fond feelings, which was enough for the thief. He had a connection with Daisuke that no one-- not Riku, not Risa, not even Satoshi-- could have. That made him irreplaceable and one of the most important people in Daisuke's life. While it wasn't all he wanted, it was satisfying enough.

Deciding not to chance waking the sleeping Niwa, Dark settled for slipping into the bottom bunk bed and sighing contently as his body, tense and sore, relaxed for once. He tried once more to reach Satoshi, but not too persistently. He didn't need any voices in his head at the moment, he had all he needed.

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XD, poor Dark. He's so going to get screwed on this deal, you can tell already. And damn, who thought Daisuke was _that _naive? But hey, who knows.. maybe Krad will actually keep his word (snickers) Right... I dunno, maybe he will. Or maybe Satoshi will get greedy and take over the shared body and steal Daisuke away and they'll run off and elope. Never know, it could happen... hope you enjoyed! 


	6. Reunion

There's quite a bit of humor in this chapter. It's a bit of a break from all of the drama that's been going on, so hopefully it'll lighten the mood a little before we delve back into the plot. Enjoy!

Violet Garnets: XDD, patience, patience, my dear. And there's more funny in this chapter, a good deal coming from him. Thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: XDDD, I'm glad you liked it so much. And yes, when they all meet up it's very entertaining. You'll be saying poor Daisuke a lot these few chapters, but it's all for a good cause. Thanks for reviewing!

inu-youkai911: Satoshi-angst is much love. No worries, there will be plenty of that coming soon. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: A few are quite idiotic at times, but it makes them entertaining. XDD, they're all messed up in the head. Thanks for reviewing!_  
_

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_"Dark...Dark, wake _up_," _an annoyed Satoshi hissed into his new angel's head.

Said boy groaned and rolled over, wondering for a moment why Satoshi was talking to him and where they were. Then, he opened his eyes and memories came flashing back to him. He suddenly remembered Daisuke in the bed above his and how he wasn't sure what to tell him or how to say it. 'Hi, Daisuke, I'm back. Oh, right, I'm also now in the body of your friend.' He wasn't sure why, but he felt guilty about it-- it seemed like he had chosen Satoshi over Daisuke. While that wasn't true, Dark _had _chosen Satoshi. Technicalities and mitigating circumstances didn't seem like a good enough reason anymore.

_"Dark, pay attention!" _Now the voice was bordering on anger and Dark wondered exactly what Satoshi's problem was.

_"Relax, I'm awake, what's your deal?" _He wasn't used to having to think everything in order to communicate with his tamer, but if he spoke, it might wake Daisuke up.

_"Daisuke's awake, do something. If he finds you just lying there, you'll have more things to worry about then how to explain you're sharing a body with me."_

So much for not waking Daisuke up. Dark slowly shifted into an upright position and heard his ex-tamer yawning above him. He cast a glance to both the door and the window, but neither was a likely exit-- Daisuke would see him if he moved to any spot other than the one he was in now.

Both Satoshi and Dark held their breath as the redhead slipped out of bed, rubbing his eyes and tugging a shirt on. Dark found it strange that Emiko wasn't there to either wake Daisuke up or time him on getting dressed as she always had. _"A lot has changed since I've been gone."_

_"More than you know," _Satoshi replied, though neither were talking to their other half. Seeming to realize that, the conversation died there as they watched their mutual friend walk towards the door. Dark thought he was off free as Daisuke's fingers grazed the doorknob, but suddenly, the younger boy tensed as if he knew he was being watched.

Even though he was still half-asleep, Daisuke's senses were alert enough to tell him someone else was in the room. He scanned the area near the window, but found it undisturbed and as still as ever. The skin on the back of his neck prickled and he spun around to face the intruder.

Red eyes blinked as he came face to face with nothing. He looked fully around his room once more to find that no one was there. Even With had disappeared off to somewhere else-- Daisuke was completely alone. Slightly concerned and frowning, the Niwa boy made his way out of his room, shutting the door with a confirming _click_.

Dark slipped out from underneath the set of bunk beds and sighed in relief, _"That was close."_

_"Why didn't you just tell him you were here?" _Satoshi wondered, _"Isn't that why you came home?"_

Dark shook his head, "No, he has school now, I don't want to make him late." He was free to talk now that no one was in the room, but he still kept his voice low.

_"You're making up excuses," _Satoshi told him, _"You can't hide this from his forever. Once you make it known that you're here again, he'll notice right away that we're never around at the same time."_

"I know, but when I tell him, I want to have time to tell him everything. Now just didn't feel right." There was something tugging at the back of Dark's mind, but he couldn't quite figure out what. It felt as if he had come here for some reason other than to see Daisuke again, but now he wasn't sure why. A well-rested night and the events of the morning thus far had put his focus on nothing else but how to tell Daisuke that he had returned and was sharing a body with his friend.

_"Perhaps you should rest a bit, you must be tired."_

Dark considered this-- of course he had just slept, but it took a certain amount of energy to be outside of his own world inside his tamer's soul. Being out for so long had drained him and he did wish to get some recuperative rest. Nodding in agreement, Dark noticed that the rules that had applied to him and Daisuke no longer stood. He didn't need to think about anyone to transform back, Satoshi's will did that well enough on its own.

_"How do you do that so easily?" _Dark wondered, now the one locked away and invisible to the unknowing eye.

"I've had a lot of practice with Krad," Satoshi reminded him, heading toward the window.

_"Krad..." _That was it--how could he have forgotten? Krad was heading straight there, Dark was sure of it. So why did he never notice him, lurking in the shadows, or more straightforwardly attacking the boy? Daisuke woke up like he did every morning, fine and content.

"Is something wrong?" the bluenette wondered.

Dark only then noticed that they were already outside and headed down the street, _"Where did Krad go if not to Daisuke?"_

Satoshi shrugged, "Who knows? I've spent enough time with him to know he's unpredictable."

_"And I've spent enough time with him to know that he's easy to read-- he'll go for whatever benefits him and his goals." _Dark seemed a bit defensive over who knew Krad best, but Satoshi just ignored it. Dark was a weird one, for sure.

"Well, we were there all night, Daisuke was fine this morning, so obviously he didn't do anything to him." There was always the possibility that Krad was waiting for Daisuke to leave his house in the morning, but he was an impatient being, and waiting wasn't really his thing.

_"I still think you should go to school today and keep an eye on him."_

"I plan on it," Satoshi assured him. The things he didn't mention to Dark were his reasons-- of course he wanted to protect Daisuke, but he also wanted to keep the redhead close. Perhaps now more so than ever he felt an attraction to the boy, though he still wasn't sure why. Even just the few moments he'd seen him that morning, something seemed different about his presence. Satoshi wondered if Dark noticed it as well, but chose to kept quiet for now; if he hadn't, it would only serve to worry him.

---

_"Your life is boring," _Krad complained to Daisuke, who was trying to concentrate on his work.

_"Krad, be quiet, I'm busy." _He knew it was in vain, though, Krad hadn't shut up since the moment he woke up. No wonder Satoshi stayed away from everyone else. And even though it wasn't Dark that occupied his thoughts, the presence of another within him brought a strange comfort that he didn't completely detest; even though it was Krad, his proclaimed enemy and someone that despised him as much as Dark, it still gave him peace of mind.

_"You're worse than Satoshi... imagine if you two had a kid, it could kill people from boredom just by looking at them."_ Daisuke was very fortunate Krad couldn't see the small blush that covered his cheeks.

_"You're distracting me, be quiet."_

_"Actually, a kid that could kill people by just looking at them...maybe you two _should _reproduce." _

_"Krad, stop, that will never happen. It's impossible."_

_"You're so pessimistic, try to think hopefully."_

_"Hopeful that I can have a kid that will kill the world just by existing?"_

_"Yes, it'll be wonderful. I'll be the godfather."_

Daisuke groaned and caught a few glances from his classmates. Quickly getting back to work, he shook his head, _"Krad, be quiet."_

_"No fun." _He sounded much like a child, but for some reason, that didn't surprise Daisuke in the least. He had never imagined a homicidal boy produced from an enchanted work of art to be mature by any means. If anything, this was going to be a very long rest of his life.

Daisuke was just getting back to work when the classroom door creaked open and provided the classroom with a very ruffled Satoshi. Many broke out into whispers, but the bluenette ignored them all and headed straight for Daisuke's desk. He spared the boy a glance as he passed him, but nothing else as he took a seat behind him.

The teacher called for the class to resume their assignment and everyone but a certain Hiwatari did so. Ice blue eyes hid behind mirroring glasses, watching Daisuke's every movement and gesture-- the soft scribble of his pencil on paper, his soft red eyes scanning the pages of his textbook, and even the slightly tense, alert way his shoulders were held. He looked as if he knew he were being watched, which with his abilities, he may very well have.

A man approached Satoshi and began talking to him, handing him papers and a book and giving him instructions. The fourteen-year-old genius simply shrugged his teacher off, keeping his eyes trained on Daisuke. There was still something about him; he seemed distracted. Like something was in the back of his mind and just wouldn't keep still.

_"You're wondering about something... what is it?" _Dark asked.

_"Be quiet, you're distracting me," _Satoshi told him, burning holes into Daisuke's back. He even ventured to lean forward to get a bit closer to the boy.

_"You think there's something wrong with Daisuke." _It wasn't a question, but of course it wasn't-- it was obvious to anyone with half a brain (which Dark just happened to have) that Satoshi was concentrating on no one else but the redhead.

_"He seems different."_

_"How?" _There was a pause, as if Dark was trying to study the boy himself. _"He looked the same to me this morning."_

_"You didn't notice? He feels... different, like there's a different presence about him." _Satoshi glanced down to his assigned work and immediately regretted not shoving it back in the teacher's face. How insulting was it to be given children's work? Never mind that he was still very much a child, but in years only.

_"I don't know what you're talking about, maybe you're the one that needs some rest. You're probably just imagining things."_

_"Maybe." _Though, if he had to be honest, Satoshi would suspect the worst. He thought to mention it to Dark-- that Krad could be residing inside his friend-- but then thought that it was a ridiculous idea. Daisuke would have just smiled and told him not to be so pessimistic about things, and so he took it upon himself to do just that. Maybe, just maybe, he was imagining things.

---

"That day went pretty fast, didn't it Niwa-kun?" Riku asked as the final bell rang to let the crowd of students out of their prison cells.

Daisuke didn't hear her at first, but just as if he had received the message late over a bad connection, he suddenly looked up, "Huh? Oh... yeah, it just flew by." He gave a bit of a nervous laugh and rubbed his head uncomfortably. Riku gave him a strange look for a moment before laughing along with him and his heart skipped a beat. He felt the familiar rush of heat to his face and readied himself to force back the transformation, or turn tail if that didn't work.

_"Don't worry about it," _Krad said, off-handedly, _"Haven't you noticed things are a bit different now? That type of thing won't change you anymore. However, it can be done at will. Either party's will."_

_"What do you-" _Daisuke stopped short as his fiery red hair began to shimmer a golden color. Riku blinked and leaned in closer to him, studying his hair closely.

"Niwa-kun, did you do something to your hair?" And as soon as it had been there, the blonde hair faded back into Daisuke's natural color.

The young boy put a hand protectively over his own head and gave another nervous chuckle, "What do you mean? It must just be the light playing tricks on your eyes or something, Riku-san."

The younger twin blinked and tilted her head, "Huh... I guess you're right." She looked him over suspiciously once more before shrugging it off.

"Riku!" her long-haired twin called, standing near a bicycle, "Come on, we need to get home!"

"Oh, right," she said, almost to herself, before turning to Daisuke, "Risa's going to show me how to...um... well, I'll see you later, Niwa-kun!" She quickly waved and ran off toward her sister. Daisuke didn't need to know that she was getting lessons on how to cook properly.

"O...kay?" Daisuke said, sweatdropping as his unofficial girlfriend rode off.

"Daisuke?" Said boy turned to see Satoshi studying him even more closely than Riku had been.

"Oh, Hiwa- Satoshi-kun... I was surprised to see you back in school today." Daisuke ran a nervous hand through his hair-- if Satoshi had seen that, he wouldn't think it was just the lighting. He'd _know_ something was up, and it wouldn't be hard to tell what it was.

_"Satoshi-kun, eh? You two have gotten pretty close," _Dark mocked, a hint of resentment in his voice. He and Krad were definitely more alike than they knew.

_"Be quiet." _Dark was more of a pain to deal with than Krad-- at least with Krad, Satoshi could just ignore him. He looked to Daisuke and shrugged, "Well, I didn't want you running off again."

_"Running off? What do you mean?" _Dark was no longer mocking, but now perhaps even a bit concerned.

_"Ran off, did you? How brave," _Krad laughed.

_"Be quiet, no one asked you," _Daisuke sighed, "I'm not going to run off again."

_"Why did he run off the first time?" _Dark demanded.

_"It's not important," _Satoshi assured his angel. He nodded to Daisuke, "Well, I wanted to see you again as well."

_"Don't get any funny ideas," _Krad growled in Daisuke's head as the boy blushed faintly.

_"I don't know what you're talking about," _Daisuke insisted. The look he gave Satoshi was half-agreeing, half-quizzical, "Why is that?"

_"Yes," _Dark added, _"Why is that?"_

Satoshi wondered if it was better just to blow his brains out now or wait for later. He sighed and shook his head, to which Krad became unsettled, _"Why the hell does he want to see you anyway?"_

_"Because we're friends?" _Daisuke offered, still watching Satoshi, "Well?"

_"Out with it," _Dark agreed.

The two voices on either end weren't giving the bluenette any time to gather his thoughts. _"Dark, shut _up_. Why do you care anyway?"_ When no response came, he sighed in relief.

Daisuke was about to ask his friend if everything was okay when Krad chuckled in his head. _"What?" _he wondered, _"What's so funny?"_

_"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Or have you forgotten already?"_

_"Forgotten? Forgotten wha-" _How could he have _forgotten_? Hadn't Dark been on his mind the entire time? And now, he was standing nearly literally face to face with him. "Dark."

"Dark?" Satoshi asked, a bit taken back.

_"How does he know?" _Dark asked, also a bit startled.

"Dark," Daisuke repeated, "He's trapped inside your body, right?"

_"How does he _know_?" _said angel repeated.

"How _do _you know?" Satoshi wondered, but had a feeling he already knew.

_"Idiots," _Krad thought, not necessarily to Daisuke.

"Krad," Daisuke sighed, a little annoyed at the blonde.

"Krad." Satoshi's tone was more one of confirmation.

_"Krad? _Krad_?" Dark growled._

Satoshi rolled his eyes, _"Yes, Krad."_ He looked to Daisuke, "So... I have yours and you've got mine?"

Daisuke nodded and chuckled, "Want to trade?"

Satoshi recognized the joke and let a hint of amusement slip onto his lips, "Nope."

* * *

Ouch, poor Krad. I would have made it longer, but... I have to go to work and didn't want to wait until the morning to post this. A few things got left out in this chapter, but they'll be included in either next chapter or the one after it, so no worries. Just as a side note: I had a hell of a fun time with that whole last conversation XD. Hope you enjoyed! 


	7. Calm Before the Storm

Alright...plot wise, this chapter isn't totally necessary, but emotion wise and a bit character development wise, it's just chock full of goodness. So, with that in mind, enjoy!

A/N: O.o, wow... 7 reviews for the last chapter, that's a bit of an increase from the usual. It makes me a happy writer, thanks everyone!

blah: XD, well, evil characters are easy to love. Thanks for reviewing!

katiesquilts: XD, but this way Krad and Satoshi can get it on! And no crying, see? Updateyness. Thanks for reviewing!

Katsume18: I bet it was, but it was entertaining for us XD. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: No worries, he gets a bit more insane again. XD, thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: XDD, they really shouldn't, but it was probably just a nervous 'holy shit wtf are we going to do now?' type of thing. Wait until reality hits. Thanks for reviewing!

missionquesttthing: The last part of the conversation loves you, too XD. Thanks for reviewing!

inu-youkai 911: Ah well, I'm sure it was worth it XD, glad you thought so. Thanks for reviewing!

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"I want to see Dark," Daisuke confessed as he and Satoshi were walking home from school.

The blue-eyed boy glanced to his friend, "You really think it's wise to do it here? If someone sees him and you together..."

"Then they see us together," the redhead finished for him, "I don't care, I want to see him."

_"He still sounds like such a child," _Satoshi thought.

_"He is a child," _Dark reminded him, _"but that's not all he is."_

The Hiwatari boy knew there was some truth to those words, but even if there weren't, even if all Daisuke was was a child, he still probably would have given in. There was something in those innocent eyes that found a weak spot in Satoshi's otherwise deadened heart. "Yeah, alright," he agreed and, with a quick look around, allowed the transformation to take him over.

Daisuke watched as Dark slowly appeared in front of him and time stopped. The messy head of royal purple hair, the enchanting amethyst eyes, and that same smirk that never faltered. Dark was, as he always had been, a picture of Daisuke's perfection. Not his smooth talk or his fluid movements, but his comforting and familiar presence that drew the Niwa in.

How long had it been since Daisuke could feel like this? Safe and as if nothing in the world could hurt him? He knew that it was ridiculous, that even now Dark couldn't protect him from some things, but the thought alone that he _might _be able to feel that way was exhilarating.

Satoshi's clothes hadn't been too small this time. Apparently, one of them had planned ahead and wore clothes that fit Dark; the sleeves and pant legs, while Satoshi was in control, had been rolled up. Daisuke watched every movement as if it were a miracle, though, it did seem to be. Dark was here in front of him. _Dark. Here. _In _front _of him. His mind was reeling, and even Krad's snide comments about school boys in love couldn't stir him from his bliss.

"So are you going to stare forever?" Silky words finally snapped Daisuke out of his daze.

Instead of feeling the usual blush of embarrassment rise, Daisuke only smiled up at his ex-angel, "Maybe."

_"Gag me now," _Krad sighed, _"Come on, can't we do something fun?"_

The younger boy barely even registered the words as he slowly walked the few steps in between Dark and himself. Tentatively, he traced the material of the silky shirt over Dark's heart, which was beating of its own accord now. Confirming that he was solid, Daisuke could do nothing but latch onto the older boy and bury his face in the same shirt.

Dark watched as his ex-tamer lost himself in the embrace and let a small, fond smile slip over his lips. In all their time together, through all of Daisuke's hardships, Dark had never once been able to comfort him with anything but words. Every time the boy he cherished needed someone there for him, Dark could do nothing but sit by and watch. Now, though, he was able and willing to be anything Daisuke needed him to be. If nothing else, he had come back just to see the one most precious to him smile again.

"You were gone," Daisuke muttered into the purple-haired boy's chest, "You were gone for a long time, I didn't think you were coming back."

"I wasn't supposed to," he admitted, "Neither of us were." By now, the four of them had realized the irony of the change they had all undergone, and so it seemed senseless to speak of it. Still, it was a problem that needed addressing. "Things can't stay like this, you know."

Daisuke shook his head and hugged Dark tighter, "I don't want to talk right now." And so they wouldn't talk because for once, Dark would actually listen to everything Daisuke said and, more importantly, everything he _didn't _say.

_"We should get inside." _Satoshi had been quiet up until that point, but now he offered a bit of wise advice. If someone saw Dark and Daisuke together, it would raise a lot of questions that none of them wanted to deal with.

Dark nodded and wrapped a reassuring arm around Daisuke, "Let's go home, I haven't seen anyone in forever."

The younger boy beamed, "Everyone will be really happy to have you back." A nod agreed with this, and the pair set off for home.

---

"Damn it, the plan failed," Kei growled. He didn't know it for sure, but Krad had yet to return, and even the psycho would realize by now that something wasn't right. He didn't know if Dark had found a body yet or not, though chances were that he went straight to Daisuke. _"That only leaves one thing to do." _He grabbed his coat and headed for the door: He would be damned if Krad would waste away in the Black Wings and Dark would go free.

---

"I'm really surprised everyone was alright with you staying here, Satoshi-kun," Daisuke said as the pair made their way to his bedroom.

"Well, it's not like they had much of a choice," the bluenette pointed out, "As long as I have Dark with me, they couldn't turn me away."

"I guess," the redhead agreed as he opened his door, remembering the previous night when he had walked through so cautiously just to find that it was Saehara breaking into- "Oh no."

The sudden alarm caused Satoshi to raise an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"Saehara-kun, he was here when Krad and I..."

"Aren't you and he best friends?" Satoshi wondered, not nearly as worried, "He wouldn't go run his mouth about something like that, would he?"

"We're friends, but he's also a reporter at heart." What he didn't want to admit was that Takeshi's father was the boy's role model, and he would do nearly anything to be golden in his eyes.

"Well, if he wanted to do something, he would have done it already, right?" Comforting Daisuke was a tad difficult, especially when Satoshi wasn't sure the boy was wrong. That, and he really sucked at comforting people.

"I guess..."

Satoshi sighed-- what would convince him? _"Tell him that I said to stop worrying so much or he'll start getting gray hairs." _

_"Dark? Shouldn't you be resting?" _Though, Satoshi was quite grateful for the advice.

_"Just tell him, I can't rest while he's worried."_

Satoshi tried to ignore what that could imply and looked to his friend, "Dark said to stop worry so much or you'll start getting gray hairs."

Daisuke blinked and allowed a small pout to line his lips, "Jerk."

Satoshi watched in slight amazement as the previously-worried boy now crawled into the top bunk and curled up in his blankets. The bespectacled boy shook his head and slid into the lower bunk, sitting up against the wall. He wasn't all that tired and he much preferred being awake. Something was putting him on edge, but he couldn't tell what.

The wind howled through the trees and the darkness seemed to creep further into the room. The air changed and suddenly it felt as if a menacing presence had awoken, which Satoshi assumed it had. The breathing above him was no longer than of a sated boy, but of an alert predator. Krad had emerged.

Every muscle in Satoshi's body was tense, and he now wished that Dark hadn't immediately taken his suggestion of resting. He knew that every one of Krad's senses were trained on him and he felt that just being tense was giving away too much. The air became thick and a slight creak of the bed from his weight shifting made him jump slightly. He knew Krad was loving this, but to be alone with the psycho was something that Satoshi couldn't help but be nervous by. He knew, for the most part, he wouldn't be harmed, but there was still the fact that he had only been face to face with Krad once and that situation was desperate and rushed.

The shadows on the floor shifted and suddenly the blonde was on the move. He slipped down and off the bed and landed lightly on the floor. If Satoshi _had _been asleep, he wouldn't have noticed a thing. The bluenette half expected his ex-angel to fly right out the window, but instead Krad turned to face him. Their eyes locked and Satoshi was frozen in place. It felt as if the gold of Krad's eyes were burning their way into his very soul and he wondered if Dark could feel the intensity as well.

"So we meet like this again," Krad spoke finally, not needing to walk any closer. Satoshi could see very well from his position the gleam of excitement in the other boy's eye. "Such a shame we were rushed last time."

Every word put the bluenette a bit more on edge, and he had a feeling Krad knew it. "What are you playing at, Krad? Why did you inhabit Daisuke's body? We both know that's not what you want."

"Not what I want?" the blonde repeated, chuckling, "Of course it isn't, but this was the next best option. Besides, this way I can keep an eye on you _and _Dark."

A frown tugged at Satoshi's lips, "Why do you need to keep an eye on either of us?"

"I don't trust Dark not to pull something. With Daisuke protecting me, I don't have to worry about that." Now, Krad did approach his ex-tamer, kneeling on the bed in front of him and leaning even closer until their noses were nearly touching, "You, on the other hand, are mine. I need to make sure I take care of my things, don't I?"

Satoshi tried to move, to pull away or even push _him _away, but his body kept itself rooted to the spot. Instead, he just shook his head feebly, "I'm not yours, get those thoughts out of your head."

"Oh?" Krad wondered, running a hand through the younger boy's hair, "If you're not mine, then whose are you, hm?" A nail grazed the porcelain cheek, "Who do you belong to?"

"I don't belong to anyone." His voice was just a whisper, but his eyes held a certain defiance that Krad had never encountered before.

"Everyone belongs to someone, don't think you're any different. Just as Daisuke will always belong to your new best friend," (said so scathingly), "you will always belong to me."

"If I ever belonged to anyone, Krad, it most certainly wouldn't be you."

The words seemed to flip a switch in the blonde and he regarded Satoshi with a slightly insane look, "You think you get a choice in the matter?" His hand cupped Satoshi's cheek and memories of their previous encounter flashed back through the boy's head. "You really think that I'd just let you go?"

"You never had me to let me go." Anyone else wouldn't mess with such an unstable boy like this, but Satoshi had grown up around psychotic men and insane angels. Just because Krad could do physical damage to him now didn't change matters. After all, he knew that his ex-angel wouldn't draw his blood; the invisible scars were always Krad's favorite to make bleed.

"Are you so sure that you want to deny me, Satoshi?"

For once since he'd been able to look at Krad, Satoshi's eyes iced over with the same cold disregard he gave to everyone else, "You can't threaten me, Krad."

"Can't I?" the blonde wondered, "I know what you hold dearest, and that just happens to be the one that I'm currently closest to."

A chink flew from Satoshi's armor and the wall he built up crumbled just the slightest, but he refused to give Krad the satisfaction of showing that, "You don't have any reason to go after Daisuke-kun, he's done nothing wrong."

"He's done enough, he's just as bad as Dark now. One has taken your body from me and the other your heart."

Satoshi's mind raced with the possibilities of how Krad knew anything about that. Had Kei said something to him, or was he really just that observant? Did he notice that every time Satoshi lost focus, his attention seemed to drift toward Daisuke? But even Satoshi himself wasn't all together sure why the redhead captivated him so, how could Krad be certain? Or was he right, did he really know Satoshi better than the detective knew himself?

"But I won't let you belong to them," Krad muttered, now uncomfortably close for having such a look in his eye. Before Satoshi could react, Krad closed the gap between them and forced his mouth over the younger boy's.

Satoshi tensed even more and began to struggle for an out, but Krad had him blocked. The blonde pinned his victim under him and forced his tongue through unwilling lips. Satoshi's muffled protests were swallowed by hungry kisses as Krad pressed closer to him and raked his nails through gray-blue tresses. He yanked Satoshi's head back and proceeded to place hot kisses down his neck, nipping at particularly sensitives areas of skin.

"Krad... Nn... get off." Satoshi produced another feeble attempt at pushing the blonde off, which was naturally in vain.

"You sure that's what you want?" Krad whispered against his pulse, running his tongue over the pale skin. A smirk spread over his mouth as Satoshi's head rolled back and to the side slightly. Krad took advantage of the situation and delved in for another taste of the sweet boy, ravaging his mouth and very noticeably sliding his hand up the nightshirt he had chosen to wear.

Satoshi squirmed away from the touch and protested again, "Yes... stop."

The blonde studied his ex-tamer for a minute before giving him another quick kiss and pulling back, "I'll stop," he agreed, "for now."

Satoshi watched, panting slightly, as Krad retreated back to his bed. Clearly he was satisfied with his night's work and by the relaxed breathing and calmed atmosphere, Satoshi could tell that Krad had relinquished control. The bluenette slumped down into his bed, suddenly very exhausted and ready for sleep.

---

Outside the Niwa household, Kei stalked the perimeter. He glanced in through a few darkened windows until he found the one he was looking for. Sure enough, inside was his redheaded target, innocently sleeping away. There was someone else in the bottom bunk, but from his vantage point, he couldn't tell who. Not that it necessarily mattered-- he was only after Daisuke (or more specifically Dark), and anyone who got in his way would simply be removed.

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Why is Kei kidnaping Daisuke in all of my fics? x-x, poor Daisuke. But yay, smutty KradSatoshi goodness for you all since you've been such good little readers and reviewers. Hope you enjoyed! 


	8. Safe and Warm In Your Arms

A note about the honorifics. When a tamer is speaking to or about an angel and vice versa, I really don't see any of them using honorifics with each other. Krad and Satoshi are way familiar with each other, as are Dark and Daisuke, and Dark and Krad are just too holier-than-thou to show respect to their current tamers, same goes for Satoshi. The only exception might be Daisuke, since he seems like he'd use an honorific just to make sure he didn't offend anyone. So, that's the reason for that.. and, of course Satoshi and Daisuke are calling each other by their first names. I do apologize for the inconsistency, I'm horrible with these things and it would probably be better if I just left them out all together. That's all, enjoy!

killah-sama: XD, well, probably not in this fic, but maybe you'll get a nice, lemony Christmas present this year. Never know. Thanks for reviewing!

Shakum-Marie-Uchiha: XDD, aw, you don't like the KradSatoshi? Well, there won't be tons, but there'll probably be a bit more. Don't worry, I'll give you some SatoshiDaisuke to get you through it. Thanks for reviewing!

Violet Garnets: XDD, well, I managed to stick another semi-pairing in here as well, so don't die yet. Thanks for reviewing!

Daisukeismyboyfriend: XDD, there will be some in this chapter since so many are starting to demand it. It will definitely pick up from now on. Thanks for reviewing!

MZJ007: Aw, it's either people cheering them on or yelling at Krad. XDD, and yes, eventually, it will. However, I tend to underrate my stories, so it'll stay stuck on T until there's actual lemons involved. Thanks for reviewing!

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Satoshi awoke to floorboards creaking and a sinister presence flooding the room. His first thought was that Krad was back again, but when he opened his eyes, the figure outlined in moonlight was a far more dreadful sight. None other than Kei Hiwatari was slinking through the room, bespectacled eyes trained on no one but the boy above him. Kei seemed to intent on getting to Daisuke that he didn't even cast a passing glance to Satoshi, who was now fully aware of what was going on.

_"Why is he here? Is he coming for Daisuke-kun or Krad?"_

_"Do you really think he knows that Krad is with Daisuke?" _Dark replied, startling the bluenette a bit.

_"Then he's here for Daisuke-kun? Why?"_

_"No idea, but there's the possibility he's after me."_

Satoshi blinked and watched as his adoptive parent ascended the ladder and came eye-level with Daisuke's sleeping form, _"After you? Because he's looking for Krad?"_

_"So you _can _put two and two together," _Dark praised,_"Very good, and yes, I'd imagine that's exactly why."_

Satoshi rolled his eyes, _"So do something about it."_

_"Like what?"_

_"Well, you _are _the one he's looking for."_

_"Technically he's looking for Krad."_

_"Then wake Krad up."_

_"I don't think I can do that, tell Daisuke."_

Satoshi hung his head, _"You're no help."_

_"I know."_

_"Don't sound proud about it." _Glancing up told Satoshi one thing-- Kei was planning on doing more than talking. However, as the older man pulled a bottle out of his pocket and a rag from the other, he had little time to react before his new angel did so.

In a flash, Satoshi's blue eyes turned a darker shade and his hair grew out to waist-length. Dark narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, clamping his wrist around Kei's. A dark grin spread across his features as the startled man turned to face him, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. After all, his guardian angel might be watching."

_"Guardian angel?" _Satoshi snorted, but Dark ignored him.

"Even better," Kei muttered, "I was only ever after you in the first place."

"You mean you weren't after me?" Krad wondered. Some time when Kei had been distracted, the sleeping boy had transformed into the psychotic angel.

"Krad-san?" the older-looking man whispered, "How are you...?"

"Easily, Hiwatari-san, I attached my soul to Daisuke's body. Do try and pay attention."

"Impossible, he'd never let you do such a thing." Dark being forgotten for the time being, Kei turned his full attention on Krad.

"That goes to show how well you know Daisuke," Krad told him, waving a hand.

"Don't go around talking like you _do _know him," Dark growled, "Remember, he's the only reason I'm not ripping your throat out right now."

Kei looked between the two angels, "If Krad-san has taken over Niwa-kun, then that means..."

"I have Satoshi, yes," Dark confirmed, "However, regardless of who is sharing whose body, you aren't welcome here."

Kei quickly looked to Krad, who simply shrugged and leaned back in the bed, "Seems I'm playing the good guy this time."

"This was not part of our deal," Hiwatari said in a low voice, "Do you think you can just back out like this and not-"

"Yes," Krad interrupted, "I really do think I can do just that."

"So leave," another voice said, laced with malice and a coldness that could only belong to one individual.

Kei and Krad both looked to see that Satoshi had taken the shared body back over. His piercing blue eyes burrowed holes into Kei's equally steely ones. The two shared a mini-stare down before Kei closed his eyes and chuckled, "So that's how it is, is it?"

"Pretty much," Krad agreed, "Sorry about your luck."

"You may be high up on your throne now, Krad-san, but don't forget who put you there." With those parting words, Kei slipped from the room without another glance back.

"He doesn't like not having control of the situation, does he?" the blonde wondered, amused.

"What kind of deal did you two make?"

"Deal, deal... hm, I don't seem to remember making any deals."

Satoshi sighed, "You're as infuriating as Dark."

"Don't compare me to him," Krad said quickly, "Now, then, perhaps I can get back to sleep."

Satoshi nodded silently and went to do the same. However, by the time he had turned his head, Daisuke was back in control and still sleeping. Blue eyes focused on the steady-breathing boy for minutes on end. Satoshi took in every detail of the boy and a hand unconsciously came out to run through the mess of red hair.

"You don't deserve any of this," he muttered softly.

Those words seemed to be enough to stir the boy, for moments later Daisuke blinked himself awake. He started slightly at the hand that was still half-petting him, but as he saw that it was none other than Satoshi next to him, he relaxed slightly. Still, an unavoidable question came to mind. "Satoshi-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Um...what are you doing?"

Satoshi sweatdropped and allowed his hand to retreat to the side of the bed, "Nothing, really, Dark was here, talking to Krad and then-"

"Never mind," Daisuke said quickly, saving Satoshi from having to explain anymore.

"I'll be going back to bed, then," the bluenette stated. Before he could turn to leave, Daisuke lightly grabbed his wrist.

"Satoshi-kun?"

"Yes?"

Daisuke bit his lip for a moment before leaning over and placing a kiss on Satoshi's cheek, "Goodnight."

Satoshi blinked and looked at Daisuke, who (despite the darkness) was visibly blushing from his action. Before he could help himself, Satoshi's features broke out in a tiny smile and he returned the affection. "Goodnight, Daisuke-kun," he whispered before descending the ladder back to his own bed.

---

With all the events that had happened, it felt like forever since Daisuke had been back in school. However, the next morning he was right back in with all of his other classmates. Satoshi was there as well, and despite his best attempt to deny it, whispers were flooding his ears, mostly about Daisuke. He tried to ignore them, but every now and then the gossip would pick up, and he'd hear both Daisuke and Krad's name used frequently.

"How can they know about that?" Daisuke asked his blue-eyed friend at lunch. He, too, had overheard more than his fair share of conversations that day.

"Well, you said that Saehara-kun had been there when you and Krad joined together," Satoshi reminded him in a quiet voice, "Maybe he really did spill."

"Niwa-kun!" a familiar voice called. The boys looked up to see Riku and Risa rushing over to them.

_"They'll know... they'll know everything," _Daisuke thought, _"They'll know that I was lying to them about Dark all that time."_

_"So you lied, who cares?" _Krad yawned in his head, _"It's not like you promised you wouldn't."_

_"But good people don't lie to their friends," _Daisuke told him, then immediately realized who he was talking to, _"Never mind."_

_"Ouch."_

"Niwa-kun," Riku repeated, drawing Daisuke's attention from Krad, "Is it true?"

"Uh, well, there's...I mean to say...Riku-san, it's hard to explain exactly..."

"So it is true," she whispered, "I had no idea, I mean... I thought you..." she trailed off, shaking her head and summoning a smile, "It's alright, though, just know that I'll still support you no matter what you choose to do."

"I never meant to-...wait, what?" Daisuke looked at her, confused, then to Risa, "What's she talking about?"

The elder twin thought for a moment before mimicking her sister's smile, "Well, about you being um... I mean, you deciding to..."

"You're gay," Riku blurted out, then quickly raised her hands to her mouth, blushing, "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

Daisuke blinked again and ignored Krad's roaring laughter in his head. A glance to Satoshi told him that his friend was struggling with the same issue. Looking back to the twins, he shook his head, "That's it?" he wondered, "I mean... that's what you're so excited about?"

"Well, it's a big deal," Risa exclaimed, "I mean, if _you _can be gay, then... then anyone can!"

Daisuke sweatdropped and Riku shook her head, "It just came as a shock to us," she said quietly, "I mean, we both thought that you..."

"You thought that Daisuke-kun liked you," Satoshi stated for her.

Riku blushed and nodded silently while Risa looked between the two boys, "'Daisuke-kun', huh? When did you two get so close? Oh! Are you...? But Saehara-kun said that you were with some guy named Krad-kun, though he never got a last name."

_"Krad-_kun_?"_the voice inside Daisuke's head demanded, _"What kind of insult is that?"_

"Krad-san," Daisuke corrected her, then blushed slightly at the curious stares (mostly the one from Satoshi), "He's, um... older."

"Ooh, Niwa-kun's with an older guy?" Risa gushed, "How much older? Where does he live? Is he in college?"

"So it's true," Risa said, "You are with this Krad...san?"

Ignoring Risa's questions, Daisuke turned to Riku, "No, it's not true at all, I'd never get with Krad-san."

_"Like I'd want to get with you, anyway," _Krad scoffed.

"So, then... who _are _you with?" Risa, ever the gossip, wondered.

Daisuke quickly glanced to Satoshi before shaking his head, "I'm not with anyone."

"I think we've bothered Niwa-kun long enough," Riku said suddenly, tugging her sister away, "Come on, Risa, we should get home."

"Oh, but I just wanted to ask him-"

"Bye, Niwa-kun, Hiwatari-kun!" Riku called above her sister's voice, waving as the two departed.

Once the girls were out of sight, Daisuke sighed a breath of relief, "That was close."

"They didn't mention Dark," Satoshi noted, "You'd think for sure that they would have brought him up."

"Yeah, come to think of it... I wonder why they didn't say anything. They didn't even seem mad." Daisuke blinked as a certain schoolmate of his passed by, "Saehara-kun!"

Takeshi blinked and looked up. Upon seeing Daisuke, he quickly became nervous and waved a hand, "Niwa-kun, I'd love to talk and everything, but I've got...um... I need to go, bye!"

"But... wait!" Daisuke called, running after Takeshi's retreating form. He easily caught up with his friend and caught his wrist, "Saehara-kun, wait a second, I wanted to-"

"It was harmless, I swear," Takeshi cut him off, "Besides, you know how I am, Daisuke-kun."

"Don't 'Daisuke-kun' me," the redhead muttered, "and don't act like that."

"Like what? We are close enough to call each other by our first names? You're that close with Hiwatari-kun, now aren't you?" The detective raised an eyebrow curiously and allowed a smirk to pass over his lips.

Daisuke blushed faintly and averted his gaze, "That has nothing to do with this." He shook his head, "Anyway, I just wanted to say... thanks."

Takeshi blinked and looked his friend up and down, "Thanks...?"

"For not mentioning anything about Dark-san, I know you must have heard his name thrown in there, too."

Takeshi shrugged and ruffled Daisuke's hair, "It would have been a great scandal: Our own little Daisuke Niwa cheating on the infamous Kaitou Dark with another, older man. However... you _are _still my friend, and I knew that throwing Dark's name in the equation would have you hounded with questions for the rest of your life."

"Just for the record, though, I'm not with anyone. Not Dark-san or Krad-san."

The brunette raised an eyebrow, "So what was all that talk about 'who are you saving yourself for?' and letting people use your bo-... Daisuke-kun, are you being threatened?"

Daisuke blinked a few times, "Threatened? Saehara-kun, what are you talking about?"

"All that stuff you were talking about with that guy... about how you didn't trust him and how you would let him use you if it helped Dark-san out. I get it now, you're sacrificing yourself to keep Dark-san safe from an unforseen enemy, it's the perfect tragic story!"

Daisuke hung his head and allowed Krad's laughter to consume his thoughts for a moment. "Saehara-kun, that's not it at all."

"It's...not? Then what the hell were you talking about?"

"It's nothing, really, just don't mention Dark-san's name... or, actually, anything you heard that night, alright?"

Takeshi sighed and nodded, "Yeah, yeah... but only because you're my friend."

"Thanks, Saehara-kun. Um, I should get going now."

As Daisuke went to leave, Takeshi caught his wrist and offered him a smile, "And what's with all this 'Saehara-kun' stuff, hm? Come on, we're best friends, aren't we?"

"Takeshi-kun, then." His wrist was released and Daisuke waved a hand, "Goodbye, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"That took a while," Satoshi noted as his new roommate joined his side again.

"I shouldn't have to worry about anymore talk about Krad-san and myself now," Daisuke informed him, "And he never said anything about Dark-san in the first place."

"Still, a bit of damage has been done with Harada-san, hasn't it?"

Daisuke shook his head, "Riku-san's strong enough, she can handle it."

"So you're alright with this? Everyone thought you two would end up together." Though, if he were to be honest, Satoshi couldn't care less how Riku was feeling or why. He didn't know her nearly well enough and he didn't have the emotion to waste on strangers.

"Honestly? I thought we would, too," Daisuke said in a low voice, "When I think about how I felt for her, I can't imagine how my feelings changed so much. I really thought I was..."

"But you weren't, right? If you don't feel that way now, then it couldn't have been real."

The redhead nibbled on his bottom lip and nodded in agreement, "I guess, but still, does that mean what I felt for Harada-san wasn't real, either?"

Satoshi shrugged, "Never know, the heart's a funny thing, I guess." He couldn't really understand how the boy could fall in love so easily and be so free with his feelings, but then again, that was one of the things he adored about him so much. Of course, when all of this started, he still couldn't be sure.

"And what about you?"

Glass-framed eyes blinked, "What about me?"

"Well, haven't you ever felt like you were in love, just to find out that it wasn't real?"

Satoshi pondered this question for only a moment before giving a short, "No."

"Never? You've never felt like you might be in love?" Daisuke frowned slightly, trying to imagine what not feeling love would be like.

"I didn't say that, I just never said I didn't think it was real." While Daisuke tried to sort through all the double negatives in Satoshi's statement, the bluenette chuckled to himself, _"He's pretty cute when he's confused."_

_"Isn't he?" _Dark agreed, _"Like a kid."_

_"You must miss him terribly, being stuck with me."_

Dark chuckled and Satoshi could imagine him shrugging the suggestion off,_"Hey, at least I'm still around him. As long as I can guard over him, then I don't care what position I'm in."_

_"You really care for him," _the pale-faced boy realized, _"You'd do pretty much anything for him, wouldn't you?"_

_"Of course," _Dark answered instantly, _"He's too innocent to not want to protect. Then again, I guess being with Krad all this time, you wouldn't know what that's like."_

Satoshi shook his head, _"Even before Krad."_

_"It's funny how alike you two are, and at the same time, how different you are."_

_"The same could be said for you and Krad."_

_"What could you possibly mean by that?"_

Satoshi smiled slightly, _"You're both the same type of creature, yet you give off two very different feelings. Krad is simply hostile, but you're..."_

Dark waited a moment before pressing on, _"I'm...?"_

_"Safe."_

* * *

There, I even managed to stick some SatoshiDark fluff in there XD, I didn't see that one coming. Seems Satoshi doesn't hate Dark as much as he always said. Well, I'm not going to rant about this chapter too much so I can get it posted and off my to-do list. So, hope you enjoyed! 


	9. A Jealous and Cold Wind

Ick, I hope I don't mess up anything in this chapter. If you do notice any inconsistencies throughout the chapter, let me know and I'll fix it right up (had that happen in a fic a couple days ago x-x). Aside from that, I hope you all didn't lose too much sleep over waiting for this chapter XDD. Enjoy!

Shadowsonicstar: XD, are there a lot of them? I actually don't read too many D.N.Angel fics, so I wouldn't know. However, that also means I don't copy off of anyone else's...whether it looks like I do or not x-x. XD, I love making Krad a multitude of personalities. It's really amusing to make him submissive, though.. and also a tad scary. Thanks for reviewing!

Animelover621: Glad you liked it, hope it's still keeping your interest. Thanks for reviewing!

Marcus1233: Hey, wow, you reviewed a lot XD, it's rare to get someone that will actually take the time to review every chapter if there's already more out, so I thank you for that. And that is what high school is all about, isn't it? People starting rumors, adding fuel to the fire, and then getting bored with it and letting it dwindle. Thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: I know, but damn.. it would be kind of weird to just randomly give someone a mouthful of tongue when you're supposed to be asleep while they saved you from their insane, Krad-obsessed adoptive father. XD, fancy is what I am for... and sometimes funny, but mostly fancy. Thanks for reviewing!

katiesquilts: Well, maybe you'll get that kiss soon, who knows? XD, and just because Saehara won't say anything else doesn't mean the rumor will die off that quickly. Thanks for reviewing!

DarkMoonLust: Wow, really? You _have _read Why The Caged Bird Sings by the awesome and wonderful killah-sama, correct? Or maybe that's one of your old favorites...it should definitely be in there somewhere. Trust me, it's a much better fic than my own, but that's so awesome of you to say, and you rock for it. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: They are nosy as hell, and it's unfortunate that I'm not putting them in more, so far. Well, maybe next chapter.. I tend to cut a lot of the school stuff out, but maybe I'll do a bit more with it sometime soon. And yes, their conversations are always the best XD, I love them.Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

_"You're going to be late," _a sing-song voice woke Daisuke up the next morning.

The redhead yawned and rolled over in his bed. "I'll be up in a minute," he mumbled into his pillow.

Krad chuckled, _"I don't think school's going to wait, though it's really not my problem. I wanted to go out today, anyway."_

Daisuke blinked a few times before realizing that Krad was actually talking to him. He sat up and rubbed his head, _"You always talk, don't you?"_

_"I have nothing else to do," _Krad pointed out, _"literally."_

Satoshi, alerted to Daisuke's movements, slid from the windowsill and stood up, "About time, I thought you were going to sleep all day."

Daisuke yawned again and slid surprisingly gracefully from his bed. "I was dreaming."

_"About Satoshi, I bet," _Krad snickered.

_"He looks pretty content... wonder who he was dreaming about," _Dark laughed in the bluenette's head.

_"Did anyone ask for your input?" _the Hiwatari boy thought, annoyed. He only then noticed that Daisuke had the same slightly irritated expression and a small blush covering his cheeks. His best guess was that Krad and Dark were on the same page of immaturity.

"We should get ready for school, then," Daisuke said softly, turning to his dresser.

Satoshi nodded and sighed, _"Don't even comment."_

_"But it's endearing, I'm jealous."_

_"If you ever want out again..."_

_"Threatening me?"_

_"Yes."_

Dark was silent after that, and from the looks of things, Krad had miraculously shut up as well. During his brief conversation with the angel in his head, Satoshi had completely missed Daisuke getting dressed. "Damn, you're fast."

Daisuke blinked and looked over his shoulder, "Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing... so, are you ready?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

Satoshi raised an eyebrow, "But...?"

A slender finger pointed to the older boy's attire, "You're not."

Satoshi was sure at that moment all three beings besides himself were laughing at his half-dressed wardrobe. He had managed to tug on the appropriate pants, but his pajama shirt was still firmly placed on his body. The bluenette sighed as even Daisuke restrained a small laugh. Whatever was planned for today was going to be hell.

---

After getting his attire straightened out, Satoshi walked side-by-side with Daisuke down the street. The two boys continued like that in silence for a while, even the voices in their heads died down as the bustle of city life filled their ears. Daisuke thought to say something once or twice, but never opened his mouth long enough to form any words. He wasn't sure what had changed yesterday (or was it even the night before?) , but Satoshi seemed a lot more drawn into himself than usual. Even the presence he was giving off was reclusive and cold.

_"You still have no idea what happened, do you?" _Krad wondered, amused at the boy's stupidity.

Daisuke blinked at the sudden lack of silence, _"What do you mean? What happened? Is it why Satoshi-kun is acting so strange?"_

_"So you really did sleep through the whole thing. Damn, I didn't know you were that heavy of a sleeper, _I _even woke up."_

Krad's words, however, only made Daisuke worry more. He slid a glance to Satoshi, who was focused on whatever was straight ahead, before turning his attention back to Krad, _"Tell me what happened."_

_"Of course I will... for a price." _The blonde chuckled to himself-- Daisuke had to be the easiest person in the world to bargain with.

The redhead hesitated, _"What do you mean?"_

_"Nothing big," _Krad promised, a hint of honest betrayal in his voice,_"I just want out for the night. No interruptions, to do as a please for once."_ His entire existence, Krad had been bottled up inside people that wished to contain him and oppress him. Well, tonight things would be different; tonight he'd be as free as everyone else.

_"Alright,"_Daisuke agreed after several moments of pondering the proposition.

_"Really? Good, then." _Even though he was cocky about it, he was also genuinely surprised-- they both knew well enough that Daisuke could just ask Satoshi or Dark what happened.

_"Hiwatari-san broke into your house the night before last," _the blonde continued, calmly, _"More specifically, your room. He and the three of us exchanged a few words and dirty looks, and he left. Actually, it was pretty uneventful."_

_"It couldn't be that simple if Satoshi-kun is acting this way,"_Daisuke argued, not even bothering to reel from the shock of hearing Satoshi's father had been so near to him and the others. He knew Kei's intentions weren't good with any of the four boys and he had probably planned to do something that night.

_"Well, your guess is as good as mine as to what Satoshi is feeling about the situation. If you really want to know, you'll have to ask him. Now, then, I've kept my end of the deal."_

And surely he had. It wasn't detailed information, but at least now Daisuke knew it wasn't something _he _had done to make Satoshi so cold. He sighed softly and mentally agreed to keep his half, too.

Ice blue eyes glanced to the concentrating redhead, who must have been having a conversation with Krad. Unlike his usual facade of annoyance, though, Satoshi noticed Daisuke wore a more serious face, concerned and perhaps slightly hurt. Even though he didn't wish to speak with anyone right now, he also didn't want to distance himself completely from Daisuke. He had forsaken everything that was promised to him by turning his back on his father, and was now playing things completely by ear. Whatever path lie ahead for him wouldn't be easy, and he knew he would make it harder on Daisuke if he got the boy involved.

"Daisuke-kun."

Said boy's attention immediately turned from Krad to Satoshi when the latter spoke. The bluenette had hardly said three words to him since that morning, and even though he hadn't noticed a bitter tone in Satoshi's voice earlier, he did sense a tinge of regret in it now.

"What's wrong?" he wondered, a small frown tugging at his lips, "Satoshi, I-"

"We're here," the older boy cut him off immediately. He was sure Krad had spoken of what happened while Daisuke innocently rested, and he was also sure he wanted no part of the conversation that would ensue.

The red-eyed boy glanced up to see that their school was slowly coming into view, and nodded silently. _"He knows."_

_"He does," _Krad agreed, _"but don't think that just because the information wasn't helpful-"_

"Yeah, yeah," Daisuke said aloud and abruptly, "I know, already, so be quiet, I'm at school." They were still far enough away that no one else heard him speaking to the angel, and Satoshi would know exactly who he was talking to. There was really no need to hide his conversation, and Daisuke found it much easier (and a little less creepy) to talk as if Krad were in front of him instead of inside of him.

"Daisuke-kun, go on ahead to class, I have something I need to take care of first," Satoshi muttered before turning and departing towards the bathrooms. He could feel Daisuke's red eyes burning into his back, but he didn't dare to glance back or make note of it-- it was bad enough he felt like breaking into a run just to get away from the boy.

---

_"You're getting jealous,'"_Dark noted as his tamer stepped into the boy's bathroom and, upon seeing that it was empty, closed and locked the door.

"I'm not getting jealous," Satoshi hissed back, his voice echoing off the tile. He honestly didn't care if anyone heard his conversation with Dark, and his head was hurting enough where he didn't need to literally think anymore than possible.

_"You can't stand it when he gets quiet because you know he's talking to Krad," _the purple-haired boy pointed out, _"You want him to think about and talk to no one but you, isn't that it?"_

"You make it sound like an obsession," Satoshi realized, turning the faucet on and letting the water run over his hands, "but I'm not obsessed with Daisuke, it's nothing like that. He can have his friends if he wants, he can even have Krad."

A silence pounded through the bluenette's head, and he suddenly wished Dark would just carry on with his theory. However, he knew he had said too much with that last comment, and the thief was slowly beginning to realize the true nature of the situation at hand.

_"You're not obsessed with Daisuke," _Dark said slowly, _"You're obsessed with Krad."_

"Why do I have to be obsessed with _anyone_?" Satoshi growled, splashing a blast of cold water onto his face.

_"You just have that type of personality... I bet you're homicidal, too."_

"You're thinking of my other half," the schoolboy informed him, "Krad's the one that gets those kinds of fixations."

_"Well, you two were together for a while, I'm sure some of his habits wore off on you." _Dark chuckled at the idea of this, but only served to anger Satoshi.

"If that were true, then Daisuke would be a pompous playboy with a bad attitude," he snapped, "Just shut up, Dark."

Silence once again filled the snowy-blue head, but this time Satoshi was definitely not complaining. Something was overcoming him, some emotion that he couldn't describe. Who did he have feelings for, Daisuke or Krad? Why did he feel like both were _his _when in reality, neither belonged to him? At least, at one point, he had felt like Krad was his; Daisuke seemed to always be just out of his grasp. Whenever the boy was upset, it was always Dark, who knew him the best, that offered advice, or Krad, who was the closest to him, that took his mind off of things. Never Satoshi, who was there loyally by his side; never Satoshi, who broke out of his shell just _for _the boy that wouldn't look his way.

"It's not fair," Satoshi murmured to himself, "He should have let me die back then."

Dark chose this moment to resume talking, _"Daisuke would never let that happen."_

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

_"You've got things all wrong, and you'll end up hurting the both of you until you get it straightened out."_

"And what do you suggest I do _until _then?" he wondered, sarcastically, "Just disappear off the face of the planet so I don't drag him down with me anymore?"

Dark considered this for a moment before responding, _"Actually, maybe that isn't such a bad idea."_

Satoshi scoffed and splashed his face once more before turning the water off, "You're as insane as Krad."

_"Let me take over," _Dark continued, ignoring the comment, _"I haven't gotten a chance to really talk to Daisuke since things changed, and you being confused right now will only confuse him."_

"I have school to attend," the boy reminded his angel, "I can't just go missing."

_"You did before."_

Satoshi hesitated-- Dark had a point. He shook his head slightly and grabbed a towel to dry his face off, "Are you sure he won't mind?" he mumbled into the towel.

_"I'm sure he'll understand," _the purple-eyed boy confirmed, _"and it's not like you won't be right there with him, you just... won't be able to cause him all this drama."_

The words rung through Satoshi's head like a gong. He was causing Daisuke drama? He frowned before glaring at the tiled floor. "This is exactly why I kept myself locked up," he said, "As soon as you start to feel and experience emotions, you run with them, and play with them."

_"What's life if you don't live it to the fullest?" _Dark wondered,_"You can't be happy if you're never sad, right?"_

Satoshi understood the question-- of course you could be joyful if you never felt sorrow, but you wouldn't appreciate the emotion near as much. Daisuke needed to feel his own share of grief, but he knew (as Dark did) that he would be damned if he'd be the one to put a frown on his friend's face.

"Fine," he agreed suddenly, "but if you do anything to mess with-"

_"Stop,"_Dark ordered, a sudden and stern tone to his voice, _"Before you even finish that sentence, consider what I know you're about to say and think twice about _ever _suggesting that I would do a thing to hurt Daisuke in any way."_

Satoshi was sure he had never heard the angel be so serious, and it was very unbecoming of him. Still, he understood how Dark must have felt-- he had been with Daisuke much longer and suffered through much more than Satoshi had. To think that he could just come in here and question the angel's loyalty to his true tamer was insulting.

"Of course," he whispered, suddenly feeling as if he didn't belong in this world at all. Even though he was part of a pair, one of only two in this world, he felt unneeded and unnecessary. Shaking his head, he sighed to himself. Emotions were a real bitch.

* * *

And I believe that's the perfect place to cut it off. I hope you all liked this chapter, I had a bit of fun writing it, especially that last part. I know Satoshi seems kind of angsty and such now, but... I figure the boy never had much experience with emotions, and feeling so many at one time has to be confusing and a little upsetting, so he's going through some psychological trauma right about now XD. Don't worry, he'll get better eventually. Hope you enjoyed! 


	10. Unusual Developments

It's really surprising, I actually wrote most of this in one sitting, and all of it in one day. I know, it's not very long, but don't let the length or word count fool you, it's a hopefully entertaining chapter. Enjoy!

Vinillii: XD, yay, I've converted another to the KradSatoshiness of it all. A little bit of humor in this chapter near the end for you, but I'm trying (_trying_, that is) to keep this also a bit serious. No worries, though, plenty of funny to be had. Thanks for reviewing!

Katherine Daystar: He is mean, and selfish, but that's why we love him. Alright, it's why _I _love him, I don't know about the rest of you... XD, I love giving Satoshi more trauma and problems than he already has, and all of them are fun to torture now and then. Thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: XDD, you're something, alright. And yes, I think he did... then again, I think we all did. Thanks for reviewing!

katiesquilts: Yay! XD, must be very exciting. Hopefully this chapter is good, too. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Dark?" Daisuke asked when he entered his room that night after showering. He had expected to see Satoshi leaning against his windowsill or sitting in his own bed. Instead, he came face to face with his old angel.

The purple-haired boy winked and let a small grin slip over his features, "Hey, Daisuke."

The younger boy tilted his head, "Why are you out?" Inside his head, he heard Krad chuckle, but ignored it-- Krad always had something to sneer at.

"Satoshi was kind enough to let me roam free for a bit," he said simply.

_"Don't lie," _the bluenette growled slightly, _"This was your idea."_

_"I'm not lying," _the thief argued, _"we both know this is for the best."_

_"Don't forget our little deal tonight," _Krad reminded the redhead.

Daisuke frowned slightly, _"I know." _He wasn't upset about letting Krad out, but he rarely got the chance to even see Dark, let alone talk to him.

Ever the observant one, said angel saw the distress on his true tamer's face and ignored whatever comment Satoshi was about to make. "What's wrong?" he asked, "Is Krad harassing you again?"

Daisuke offered the boy a smile and shook his head, "No, it's nothing like that."

Dark studied the redhead opposite him for a minute before shrugging. He was sure there was something he wasn't being told, but whatever it was, Daisuke would enlighten him in due time. "If you say so. Anyway, I was thinking since I've got a little time, maybe tonight you and I could-"

"I can't," Daisuke interrupted abruptly, then glanced away at the inquisitive look he received, "I promised Krad I'd let him out for the night tonight."

"You did what now?" the amethyst-eyed boy asked, "Are you sure that's really a wise idea?"

"It'll be okay," the tamer promised, "I _can _take back over if he does anything...bad."

"Bad for Krad isn't necessarily everyone else's understanding of the word," Dark reminded him.

Daisuke sweatdropped at the objection from the blonde in his head, but ignored him once again, "Well, I know that much, but he can't do anything outrageous."

_"Can't?"_Krad demanded, _"We'll see about that."_

_"More like won't," _Satoshi muttered, _"Krad could do whatever he wanted if you let him."_

_"But Daisuke won't," _Dark assured him, _"So there's nothing to worry about." _Sighing, he looked back to his friend, "Well, I guess that kills that plan."

Daisuke blinked and nodded slowly, "Yeah, I guess so."

Dark cocked his head to the side, "Something wrong?"

The redhead bit his lip before shaking his head and offering another smile, "Nah, it's nothing."

_"Come on, already," _Krad half-whined impatiently, _"I want out for more than a few hours, so hurry up."_

_"Alright, alright." _Daisuke sighed, taking one last look at Dark before closing his eyes and letting the transformation take him over.

Moments later, Dark was no longer standing in front of his beloved ex-tamer, but rather came to face with his most despised enemy. His eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of the blonde, who offered him a confident smirk.

"What's wrong, Dark?" Krad wondered, "Still not fond of the sight of me?"

"Like you can say you're too happy with me," the darker angel sneered.

Krad chuckled lowly, "Trust me, I can't even stand the sight of you. If it weren't for this darling little boy that I'm attached to, you'd be history."

"Actually, it's thanks to Satoshi that both of us are here," Dark reminded him.

"How considerate of you to remember," Krad said, making his way to the window, "Sentimental fool."

"What was that?" Dark demanded, but as he turned to snap at the psychotic boy, all he had to talk with was open air and a few white feathers. "Bastard," he muttered under his breath.

---

_"So, what's on your mind, dear Niwa?"_

_"It's nothing," _Daisuke insisted, _"and stop talking to me, I'm trying to get some rest."_

_"But you couldn't rest even with silence," _Krad guessed.

_"That's not the point."_

_"That's_exactly _the point."_

Daisuke sighed, _"What is it you want, Krad? Someone to pester and annoy?"_

_"Not at all, but your being bothered is bothering me. It's like something in the back of my mind is pissed off and I can't fix it. Well, I guess technically that is true, but..."_

Seeing that he wasn't getting out of this easily, the redhead conceded,_"It's just that... I didn't think Dark would be that alright with letting me go so easily."_

Krad quirked an eyebrow. He honestly didn't understand such emotions that the boy was feeling, but decided on hearing him out anyway. Maybe then that annoyed feeling would go away. _"You're upset because Dark didn't want you to stay?"_

_"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm sure he knows that I'd insist on letting you out regardless, but he could have been a little more upset about it."_

_"You're upset that he's _not _upset," _Krad corrected himself.

_"It's not like I _want _him to be upset," _Daisuke said, _"but I thought he'd want to stay with me more than that; instead he just shrugged it off."_

_"Because you're sure he'll be gone in the morning," _Krad realized,_"so it's upsetting that he didn't want to spend what time he had out with you."_ He understood, at least, though he still couldn't grasp why any of it really mattered.

_"Yeah,"_Daisuke agreed, _"Is it stupid to think like that? Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing..."_

_"Well,"_Krad paused for a moment, considering his words, _"it's possible that he just doesn't see it as a big deal. Maybe he's grown closer to Satoshi since they've been together and he doesn't really need you anymore like he used to."_

Daisuke was silent for a while, contemplating the words that his current angel had spoken to him, _"You... think that's possible?"_he wondered, frowning, _"Would he really feel differently towards me?" _Daisuke silently wondered if the reason Dark cared so much for him really was just because they were so close all the time. Could a little separation destroy his feelings that easily?_"Will I become that way, too?" _he wondered, mostly to himself.

_"Don't let it bother you too much," _Krad offered, _"I'm sure Dark still likes you fine." _A wicked grin spread on his face as he flew through the night air-- even restrained as he was, he could have a _little _fun.

---

Dark was left to his own devices once Satoshi had finally drifted off, and his mind left to wander. His thoughts turned to many things, but each and every time, they ended up going back to Daisuke. He was concerned for his ex-tamer, though he couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like he wasn't with Krad every day, but the fact that the two were alone (even in the same body) made him nervous. He fiddled with a few things here and there, and even tempted the idea of following the blonde, but in the end he remained perched on the windowsill.

"He'll come back soon," he reassured himself, having no one else to comfort him, "They both will." He wasn't positive why he cared that Krad returned safely with Daisuke, but chalked it up to being assured that if Krad was with Daisuke and under his watch, he couldn't cause trouble. "That has to be it." After all, Dark was sure he'd have tried to kill Krad on numerous occasions if he was separated from Daisuke.

---

The next morning rolled around and much to Dark's surprise, he had found himself waking from a rested night's sleep. He wasn't sure when, but sometime during the early hours of the morning, he had dozed off, slumped against the window. He finally awoke to an impatient tapping and the first thing he laid his sights on was a scowling Krad.

"Ah, damn!" the purple-haired angel cursed, falling from the sill onto the floor.

Now able to enter the room, Krad stepped inside and crossed his arms, "I wanted to open the window while you were still leaning against it," he told his old nemesis, "but Daisuke would have none of it."

Dark blinked the last remainder of sleep away and snickered a bit, "I never thought I'd see the day when you answered to someone, Krad," he commented, "Especially not some schoolboy."

"What was that?" the blonde growled, ignoring Daisuke's complaints in his head to behave.

"You heard me perfectly fine," Dark told him, "You're like a puppy now."

"I'll show you who's whipped," the violent angel threatened, preparing to attack the seated boy.

Just as Krad launched himself at Dark, however, Daisuke's will took over and instead of being pinned beneath a seething angel, Dark found himself seated under an exhausted redhead. Daisuke had yet to notice their position, but Dark was all to aware how close he was to his old tamer. Taking advantage of the younger boy's closed eyes, Dark leaned in and closed his own orbs, taking in the familiar scent.

Much to Dark's surprise, Daisuke responded and laid his head on the taller boy's shoulder. He yawned once and muttered an unintelligible 'good morning' before leaning his full weight against the angel.

"Daisuke?" Dark whispered, a light crimson rushing to his face, "You alright?"

"Mm..." was the only response he got with another yawn.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Sleepy," he stated simply, "Krad...up...all night..." Dark got little more than that before he found himself now under a sleeping Niwa.

Forcing himself under control, Dark stood with Daisuke in his arms and made his way to the boy's bed, slipping the sleeping one out of his arms and under the blankets. He smiled a bit fondly as Daisuke curled up under the warmth of the covers and ran pale fingers through bright red locks of hair.

"Guess you're taking the day off," he murmured, "Sleep well, then."

* * *

Everyone say 'aw'. It might have only been one night, but a lot happened here. Did you catch it all? Plenty of...emotional development, I guess you could call it. And more confusion on both Dark and Daisuke's part. Also, in a couple chapters (not quite yet) something kind of fun is going to happen which will throw everything back into more chaos. XD, hope you enjoyed! 


	11. Changes of the Tides

I'm actually surprised I got this out before the new year. XD, just barely, but I did it. In my opinion, this chapter is just chock full of emotional confusion and way more serious. In case you haven't noticed, there really isn't much of a plot to this fic, and I think I might keep it that way for a while. There's enough going on at the moment, in my opinion, to throw more things in. Eventually, I'll bring Kei and his conflicts back, but not until everyone gets all of their feelings sorted out. Hopefully that'll be easier to follow. Enjoy!

Valine: XD, fluff is aplenty in this fic. So is the angst, though. Thanks for reviewing!

Violet Garnets: XDD, emos will develop. Glad you don't think it's too slow, I was a bit worried about that. Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Silverhawk: Everyone needs a bit of fluff every now and then XD, thanks for reviewing!

MoonlightPrincess: Glad you like it, thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: XDD, at least you were enjoying yourself while looking like a weirdo? And hey, who doesn't love to throw Daisuke around? I'm sure somewhere along the line there'll be a bit more, but just in case it doesn't happen, I'm not making any promises. XD, thanks for reviewing!

Daisukeismyboyfriend: Oh dear, 7th graders? XDDD, they may suffocate me with their hair spray and glitter. Thanks for reviewing!

Katherine Daystar: XD, I needed to throw a bit of humor in there to lighten things up since I _think _it's going to start getting more serious soon. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: You know you both love and fear Normal!Krad. Don't worry, he'll get his own share of emotional torture soon. Even scarier, he'll get his own share of emotions just to torture XDD. Thanks for reviewing!

katiesquilts: XD, I know, I'm slow with the updating. Chaos is definitely fun, we need more of it. Hm.. Dark and Daisuke will probably end up doing that eventually... maybe... Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

The night so far had been fairly uneventful for Dark: Daisuke was fast asleep, exhausted from his night out with Krad, and Satoshi was either asleep or giving him the silent treatment (he couldn't be happy with the situation). Either way, the phantom thief was left to do nothing but come up with his own source of entertainment, which giving that With was also snoozing away on top of the redhead was limited.

"Middle of the night and nothing to do," he murmured to himself. He had spent a good deal of time watching his old tamer sleep and an equal amount of restless minutes trying to get some sleep himself. Whatever he tried, though, it seemed something was determined to keep his mind and body alert.

"Don't look so glum," a chuckling voice told him, "It's not every night you get to be out and about on your own with no one to pester you."

"Krad," the purple-haired angel acknowledged, watching as his counterpart slipped from the top bunk where Daisuke had been resting. Dark sighed and shook his head, "What are you doing out?"

"Shouldn't I ask you the same?" the blonde wondered, tilting his head, "You know it tires you out just being in this realm, so why don't you let Satoshi take back ov-"

"No," Dark said firmly, "and it's really none of your business why I'm out or how it affects me."

"So touchy," Krad chuckled, sliding down to sit next to the dark-haired boy.

Slightly irritated, but thankful for the distraction from boredom, Dark surveyed his old enemy. "You've changed," he noted.

"Changed?" the golden-eyed boy repeated, "Not likely."

"You have," Dark insisted, "You're almost civil now. Almost," he added with a hint of amusement.

"I've always been civil," Krad assured him, "Just not to you."

"And now suddenly you've changed your mind?" Dark asked, skeptically, "Be honest, Krad, we both know if you wanted to, you'd find a way to get your hands around my neck."

"A tempting idea," the fair-colored angel chuckled, "but I'll play along for a bit longer."

"What else do you have to gain from this situation? All it will do is make you-"

"It will make me nothing," Krad cut him off, "What it will do is give me more opportunities to put you away for good so I can have free reign."

"You really think that once I'm out of your way, you're free to do as you please?" Dark wondered, "Am I really the only obstacle you'll have to overcome?" Dark considered that Krad really thought that highly of himself, but he had reservations about how highly the blonde thought of his counterpart.

"No one else knows me well enough to get in my way," Krad stated, "As annoying as it is, it seems like you know me inside and out." He cast a glance to the other boy, "Though, even you can't know everything."

"I never claimed to," he shrugged, "but I do know you well enough to know what you're capable of-- the bad and the good."

"Good?" Krad scoffed, "Isn't that your thing?"

_"Maybe you just have the misconception that we're polar opposites,"_Dark suggested to no one but himself. The reality of it was that neither of them were purely good or bad; Krad was very capable of being a decent person and Dark had done his fair share of evil deeds in the past.

"Whatever," Krad continued, "The point is: Don't go thinking I've changed so much, I am a wonderful actor."

Dark couldn't necessarily disagree with that; Krad did have his deceptive ways. "I won't argue that point, but it's moot, you realize. I never doubted your acting skills, only your ability to keep someone so close at such a great distance."

"You think I'll become weak and start caring like you," the blonde laughed, nearly loudly enough to wake the sleeping family in the nearby rooms, "You've got to be kidding."

Dark sighed, once again annoyed, "You're so hard-headed, if you'd just wake up and see-"

"No," Krad interrupted again, "_You _need to realize that I'll never change. No matter how much you want me to. I was like that once, pathetic and weak, but I locked that part of me away. I'll never feel those horrid emotions again, my life is better like this."

"Alone?" Dark wondered.

"Simple," Krad corrected.

The two shared a nostalgic look as they both reflected on their past; one fondly, the other full of disgust and hatred. After a moment, though, Krad broke the connection and slid away from his counterpart. Dark sighed and barely caught the blonde's last words of the night.

"You make me feel too much, no matter what the emotion is. That's why I hate you."

---

"Mm...Dark?" Daisuke yawned the next morning, rolling over in his bed and tangling himself in the covers, "What time is it?"

"About ten in the morning," the thief yawned. He hadn't slept a wink the night before and just as he was dozing off against the windowpane, Daisuke's voice filled his ears.

"Ten...in the morning?" the redhead repeated slowly before shooting straight up in bed, "Why didn't you wake me up? I'm late for school."

The purple-haired boy watched amused for a moment as his ex-tamer fumbled around to get out of his cocoon of blankets, nearly falling from the bed in the process. He waited until the boy had his feet firmly planted on the ground before responding, "It's the weekend."

Daisuke blinked a few times and looked out the window. "But I remember it being almost morning when I fell asleep," he said, "Come to think of it, I do feel pretty rested for only being asleep a few hours."

Dark couldn't help the small smirk that slipped across his lips, "You slept the whole day yesterday," he informed the boy, "If you and Krad weren't sharing the same body, I'd wonder what you two were doing."

"That's not very nice to say," Daisuke scolded. Tilting his head, he changed the subject to a degree, "Did something happen last night?"

"What do you mean?" the kaitou wondered, his mind silently flashing back to his and Krad's conversation.

"Well, Krad-san has been really quiet since I woke up and usually by now he's going on about something."

"So you think I'd know what's going on in that maniac's head?" Dark asked, though managed to avoid most eye contact-- the truth was he knew exactly why Krad was silent.

_"You make me feel too much, no matter what the emotion is. That's why I hate you."_

Those words echoed through Dark's head, not because he couldn't believe they were being spoken (of course he knew Krad hated him), but because of the pure raw emotion he heard behind them. He always knew_why _Krad hated him, but just not how much. _"To hate because you feel, is that really much better than not feeling at all?"_

_"Krad doesn't know how to do anything _but _hate," _Satoshi offered, _"I don't see why you care so much."_

_"It's because of me that he's so hateful," _Dark told him, a slight frown touching his lips, _"I know this is the only Krad you've ever known, but I've seen a different side of him."_

Satoshi scoffed, _"You're too sentimental. Get over it, this is the Krad you have to deal with now. Just because you changed him once doesn't mean you'll change him again."_

"I know that," Dark whispered aloud, lost in his own world.

"What's wrong?" Daisuke asked, studying his ex-angel. It was clear he and Satoshi had been having a conversation, but the purple-haired thief looked unusually distressed.

"Nothing," he replied quickly, "Just schoolboys sticking their noses where they don't belong."

"You look upset, though," the redhead commented, stepping closer to the taller boy, "Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

_"More than you know," _Krad finally spoke, though his voice was low and full of resentment.

"You and Krad-san are both upset," Daisuke surmised, "and when is the last time Satoshi-kun's been out? Did he even go to school today?"

_"I told you it wouldn't last long," _Satoshi hissed.

"Satoshi is..." Dark hesitated, wondering how Daisuke would take the news.

"He's what?" the redhead asked, almost timidly; Dark had a forewarning look about him.

"He's... you probably won't be seeing him for a while." How was he supposed to tell the boy that he talked Satoshi into submission?

"I won't be seeing him?" Daisuke frowned, "Is something wrong? What happened? I want to talk to him."

"Daisuke, relax," Dark said softly, ruffling the boy's hair, "Everything's fine, Satoshi's just... taking a break from life right now."

_"Taking a break from life?" _Krad scoffed in his head, _"What the hell did that bastard do to my Satoshi? Let me out."_

_"No,"_Daisuke told him firmly, then turned his attention back to Dark, "I want to talk to him."

_"What do you say?" _the older boy wondered, _"Want to explain things?"_

_"Honestly? It was your idea, I think you should have to deal with it,"_Satoshi told him, _"However, I don't want to see him sad."_

_"Your choice," _Dark sighed and allowed Satoshi to appear before the redhead.

"Satoshi-kun," Daisuke whispered before hugging the bluenette tightly. He was focused so intently on keeping the boy close to him that he didn't even remember to blush.

"It's alright," the taller one promised, returning the hug with a little less enthusiasm, "I'm fine, I just... thought you and Dark should have some time together."

"That's not it, though, is it?" the redhead wondered, "There's something else wrong, what is it? You know can tell me."

The icy-eyed boy let a rare smile slip onto his features as he placed a kiss lightly on the Niwa boy's forehead. "I know," he murmured, "but you'll end up finding a way to blame yourself, which isn't what I want. Just trust me, alright? Things will be fine soon."

"But..." Daisuke frowned slightly, _"Why aren't they fine now?"_ Slowly, he nodded his agreement, "How long?"

"I'm not sure," the bespectacled boy admitted, "Just until things calm down some."

"I don't understand," the fiery-featured boy stated, "but I trust you."

Satoshi nodded gratefully then blinked, "Well, it looks like it won't be happening as soon as I thought."

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked, slightly confused.

"Dark fell asleep," he said simply, "I guess being out for so long with no rest wore him out."

_"Lazy,"_Krad snickered.

"So we have a little bit," Daisuke confirmed, smiling slightly as Satoshi nodded once more. "Good, I'm glad."

"So am I," the bluenette admitted, "I missed you."

Daisuke said nothing else, but renewed his hugging of his crush and best friend. He knew that this wouldn't last forever, and he knew he was confused about a lot of things. Since when did he want to see Satoshi more than Dark? Since when did his classmate start meaning more to him than his other half? Questions buzzed around his head, none being answered, but one things remained certain: As safe as he felt in Dark's arms, he never felt more comfortable than with Satoshi.

* * *

So a little bit on Dark and Krad there, and Daisuke being all confused once again. Next chapter will get into the more interesting of relationships and we'll delve a bit more into Krad and Dark's past. Hope you enjoyed! 


	12. Yesterday's Hearts

For how long this took to come out, you'd think I'd be happier with it. I suppose I'm semi-happy with it, but I think next chapter will be much better. There's really not much to this one and it seems pretty short and filler-esque to me. But the latter half is important and if you don't understand everything in Dark and Daiki's conversation, that's fine, you're not meant to, XD. So go, my darlings, be confused and enjoy!

pokemonlover13: It's possible. I'll definitely consider it, but I must warn you it'll be in a much later chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

killah-sama: XD, well, there is some more fluffiness ahead, but it'll be the last for a minute, so soak it all up while you can. And you know Krad's just a Hollywood princess in disguise. Thanks for reviewing!

Lost-in-NYC: o.o, I don't know, why _haven't_ you been reading it? You must be senseless, that's the only reason. Perhaps it's from reading another of my fics.. they do tend to melt your brain. Thanks for reviewing!

IceCreamXD: I'm glad to hear all of that! It's lovely to hear good things about my work, since even if I do act like it's nothing, I generally try to put _some _thought into it. Thanks for reviewing!

fall in snow: Yup, much with the plot. Next chapter it will thicken even more; maybe even so much you can cut it with a knife XD. Thanks for reviewing!

katiesquilts: I know, I'm horrible at updating. You can throw things at me if you want, they can even be rotten. XD, yes, time spending. I think that's the one part of this chapter I'm disappointed with-- for Daisuke and Satoshi's last day together for a while, they didn't do much. x-x, I guess that's why I'm not happy with it. I'll be sure to make up for it later, though. Thanks for reviewing!

Lady Silverhawk: Well, I'm glad you think so. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: Aww, but that's the best part of writing a fic! Thanks for reviewing!

Katherine Daystar: XD, yup, and even flashbacks to accompany it. I'm glad to hear that, I always worry I'm making things weird or out of place. I know I've said it enough, everyone should know that's like my ultimate fear XDD. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"So," Satoshi said, breaking the silence, "it's the weekend, what do you want to do?"

Daisuke pondered the question before opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. After a late breakfast, they had retreated back to the redhead's room and taken to sitting in their respective beds. Even as eventful as his life had been lately, Daisuke didn't want to be _bored_like this. "I don't know," he admitted, though other things were on his mind. "Hiwatari-kun?"

"Hm?"

"How long do you think things will stay like this?" Daisuke had been thinking about what Dark had told him. _"Things can't stay like this forever, you know."_

Satoshi opened an eye lazily, "You mean with Krad and Dark?"

"Yeah," he confirmed softly, "Dark said it couldn't stay like this forever, but... why not?"

The bluenette smirked, amused at the boy's innocence, "Because he doesn't trust Krad with you."

"I figured that, but since he came back, Krad-san really hasn't done anything to be wary of."

"That's exactly why, or don't you get it?"

Daisuke blinked, "I don't." He wasn't even sure what he didn't get.

"Don't you think Dark knows Krad better than just about anyone? So he knows how deceptive Krad is and how his mind works." Satoshi bit back the small hint of jealousy he felt in suggesting that Dark knew his angel better than he did. Even though he didn't want to admit it, and couldn't find out why he cared so much, Satoshi didn't want anyone else being that close to Krad.

"You think Krad-san is just messing around?" he wondered, sitting forward and glancing down to where he knew Satoshi was.

"I don't think his honesty is sincere," Satoshi agreed.

"Maybe." Daisuke wasn't completely sure, though. He didn't know what, but_something _had happened between Krad and Dark, and since then Krad had been more silent and reserved in his snide comments than usual. It was almost concerning how quiet he had been. "Has Dark been acting any different lately?"

"Different?" Satoshi repeated. He thought for a moment before shrugging, "Not really, maybe a bit less annoying than usual."

_"So it's both of them," _Daisuke thought, safe in his own mind while Krad was asleep. He then realized that with all of this talking they were doing, they were also wasting valuable moments that could better be spent doing things that he wouldn't be comfortable doing while the angels were awake.

Biting his lip lightly, Daisuke slid from his bed and landed in front of Satoshi, who gave the redhead his full attention. Wordlessly, the younger boy smiled and sat next to his friend, enjoying the comfort that only Dark had before brought him.

"Getting lonely up there?" Satoshi wondered, but even as he mocked the boy for wanting to be close, he slid just a bit nearer.

A small pout rose to the redhead's lips, "Maybe I am."

Satoshi said nothing else, but chuckled a little and after a moment, hesitantly wrapped his arms around his friend. He felt Daisuke tense for only a moment before relaxing into the embrace and remained content to rest his head on the shorter one's.

---

Daisuke wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but he watched as the shadows slowly crept across the floor and sunk with the sun. Soon, they had spent the whole day doing nothing but relaxing in each other's presence. He only remembered that a while ago, Satoshi had muttered something about Dark being awake. However, the thought of his angel returning only sent him clinging to the bluenette tighter. As much as he had missed Dark and would enjoy spending time with him, he knew that this was the last time he would see his friend for a while.

"I'll be time soon," Satoshi murmured finally. The silence shattered and Daisuke's face fell-- he had known this was coming for a while now. As much as he tried to ignore it and not let it get him down, he was afraid of the moment when he'd have to say goodbye.

"Do you have to go away?" he asked, sounding small and scared (not to mention feeling it).

The blue-haired boy nodded, "At least for now, I think it's best. Until I get myself straightened out, I don't want to confuse you as well."

The redhead said nothing more, but only attempted to absorb what little peace he could muster from his friend's embrace. He knew he shouldn't be upset; knew that he was getting to see Dark again and even be with him. "Will it be long?"

"I can't stay away too long," he pointed out, giving a small but knowing smirk, "people will start getting curious."

Daisuke let himself smile and hugged the boy one last time and closed his eyes. "And I can't let you escape from Krad for too long," he teased.

"I couldn't escape him in a million years." It wasn't Satoshi's voice that sighed those words, though. None other than Dark now embraced the schoolboy, and as Daisuke looked up at his thieving half, he couldn't help but hold his smile steady. After all, as much as Satoshi had been there to comfort him, Daisuke had always been upset about Dark's absence all along.

"I'm glad you're here," Daisuke admitted, "I missed you."

"I haven't been out that long, have I?" the purple-haired boy wondered, shrugging, "As long as you're sure you're alright with this."

Daisuke nodded and leaned a bit closer to the taller one. One thing that differed greatly between Dark and Satoshi: He always felt comfortable being close to Dark, while Satoshi made him as nervous as he did comfortable.

Dark wasn't often fond of smiling, but every now and then his tamer did something unbelievably sweet or adorable and he could help but let the smallest, fond smile slip over his lips. This was one of those times as Daisuke nuzzled just a bit closer to him. Sure enough, a few moments later the boy next to him was sound asleep, sighing peacefully as his mind settled into a dream. Dark, having been asleep the entire day, was content to simply watch his old tamer as the moon rose high into the night.

---

It had seemed the previous day was wasted with lounging about and Dark was even more restless than before. He knew once Daisuke returned to school the following morning, he would have nothing at all to do with himself. Even more depressing, though, was the idea that with Daisuke went Krad. Not that he had ever enjoyed Krad's presence, but his other half would at least be someone to talk to.

Satoshi wasn't much for conversation lately, as he spent most of the time trying to sort out his own feelings. Every now and then, he would speak up and question something about himself, but Dark was never really sure if he was supposed to respond or not, so he kept quiet. There was always his family, who he had spent virtually no time with, but even they would have things to do on their own. As much as he had missed being with Daisuke, Dark wanted something more than a casual friend; he wanted a companion.

Perhaps that was what had led him to approach Daiki that day, since Emiko had taken Towa out to get groceries. The elderly man looked up from his newspaper as Dark stepped out of his room and offered a fond smile, "We don't see too much of you these days."

"Sorry," the purple-haired boy offered, rubbing his head sheepishly, "but I'll be around a lot more now."

Daiki nodded, "How have things been?"

Dark sat across from him at the kitchen table, his expression darkening slightly. He paused for a few moments to gather his thoughts and then spoke, "Do you know a way to separate us?"

The older-looking man was taken slightly off-guard, but quickly adjusted to the seriousness of the conversation and adopted a worn look of his own. "That question brings back memories of a different sort," he said, "I remember when Emiko asked me if there was a way that she could become you."

"You couldn't do that," Dark concluded, "Does that mean you can't do this, either?"

"Is the Hiwatari boy bothering you?" he wondered, "This is a serious request to be asking so lightly."

Dark shook his head, "I'm not asking for myself." He knew Daiki was a smart man, and that he would realize nearly immediately what his words meant.

"So it is true," the grandfather sighed, "I had so hoped our dear Daisuke wouldn't be cursed like that. Why did you not tell us sooner?"

"Krad isn't a threat," the amethyst-eyed boy assured him, "not yet, anyway. And I don't think he needs to be, but with Daisuke there it's hard to talk to him alone."

"Dark, what you speak of is a dangerous experiment. Krad is not like he was back in our days." Daiki knew full well what his old angel was getting at: He thought Krad's feelings could change again like they had before.

"It was a horrible series of events, but I think that Krad can break down all of those walls he's put up."

Daiki frowned, "It was because of you, because of both of us, that he is how he is now. Do you think you can win him back again just like that."

"I know the feelings he had for me," Dark argued, "I know because I felt them, too. Feelings like that don't just disappear."

"No, no they don't," the wiser of the two agreed, "but they do change. Krad's heart has hardened from when he once loved you. Even if he did change again, who is to say the same thing would not happen once more?"

"We are all connected," Dark murmured, "Daisuke, Krad, myself, and even Satoshi."

It took Daiki a minute to understand exactly what he meant by those words, but as realization dawned on him, he nodded and just the smallest smile crossed his face, "Then perhaps you have a chance after all. Of course, that all depends on Krad's feelings for the Hiwatari boy."

"Krad's connection with Satoshi is like mine with Daisuke. Besides, what happened before won't happen again, not if you can find a way to separate them."

"I will try, Emiko and I both, but you have to face the possibility that this is how things will be from now on." The grey-haired man stood, "For now, do your best with what you have."

Dark nodded and watched as his former tamer disappeared behind the basement door. He knew if anyone could find a way, it would be Daiki. Sighing to himself, and letting the tension of the conversation slide away, he stood as well and found his way back to where Daisuke was sleeping.

Instead of walking in to a resting redhead, Dark instead found his eyes trained on a disgruntle blonde. "Krad," he acknowledged. His fears of the white-winged angel overhearing his conversation were confirmed with the boy's next words.

"How nice it is to know," he said, looking back from his position at the window, "you still think you can decide everyone's fate for yourself."

* * *

Nice one, Dark. Bravo. You'd think for a thief he'd be a little more observant. In other words, omfghowlongdidittakeformetofinshthis?! About a million years, that's how long. Sorry x-x, and it wasn't really even what I had planned to do for it. Which means I need to change the chapter title to something else since it kind of makes no sense with this. It was originally going to be titled 'New Beginnings' because this interaction with Krad and Dark was going to go a bit (more like completely) different. Either way, next chapter will be a flashback chapter. And yes, this is going to go into detail about Krad and Dark for a minute, so all of you DarkDai and SatoDai lovers are just going to have to hold on for a bit XD. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! 


	13. Reforming Today Into Tomorrow

Jeez...took me a month to get around to it, but only a hour or two to write. What is up with that? Anyway, as I said in the previous chapter, this one is mostly about Krad and Dark with a few flashbacks. I'm hoping I didn't make Krad too OOC. If I did, I apologize. There is a little bit of a lead into the next chapter, just so this chapter isn't completely meaningless and filler-like. XD, enjoy!

**Note:** I hate to do this, I really do. However, there is a _lot _of shit going on in my life right now and I don't want to keep putting you guys in the dark of when the next update is going to be. Having said that, I'm going on hiatus for a little while. My guess is a couple weeks to a month. When I come back, I will come back with at least a chapter, maybe two, but I can't concentrate on this right now and I really hate feeling obligated to do it so I don't disappoint anyone. I'm really, really sorry, and I promise to make it up to you all somehow.

Shakuma-Marie-Uchiha: Looks like your review inspired me, or something to that effect XD. Thanks for reviewing!

Prince Raider Ruler of thunder: Hmm.. .I think I'm skimping a little on the KradSato in both of my fics. Shame on me. XD, thanks for reviewing!

katiesquilts: XD, it _is _amazing, I rarely ever update. Especially when I'm alive and well XD. Yaoi is definitely necessary for my fics, that's for sure. Thanks for reviewing!

Solo Maxwell-Yamato: Hey, you never know, it could happen... but probably not. XD, thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Krad..." Dark frowned slightly-- how much had he heard?

"Don't bother," the blonde snapped, "Why the hell do you think you can just go around deciding what's going to happen and who's going to be affected?"

"Krad, it's not like that," the dark angel interrupted, "I can't have what happened before happen this time. It's not fair to anyone involved."

"Shut up," the blonde growled, "I can't believe you think I'd still be that way. I've overcome that."

"You can't and you know it," Dark told him, "When we're with our tamers for so long, not only our souls intertwine, but so do our hearts. You'll start to feel things for Daisuke, just like you did for-"

"_Don't_say it," the golden-eyed boy stated firmly, his eyes burrowing holes into Dark's, "I will _never _love anyone again. Not you, not him, not Satoshi."

"Krad," Dark sighed, "you're still so bitter about it all, aren't you?"

"You think I don't have a reason?"

_**Flashback**_

_"So you really feel that way?" Dark asked. He and Krad were sitting atop a tower, looking down over their city. It was the middle of the night, so both angels' tamers were fast asleep and the two were free to speak as they wished._

_"I didn't think so at first, but it's..." Krad frowned slightly, "Dark, I'm sorry, I never meant to-"_

_"Don't worry about it," the purple-haired boy smiled, "After all, you're still with me, right?"_

_The blonde nodded and quickly laced his fingers with Dark's, "It's not like Ijou and I could ever be together anyway." _

_Ijou Hikari, Krad's young tamer. He was a care-free boy and a bit of a troublemaker, a lot like Krad himself. He was also an expert at thieving, having many years of practice before Krad ever made himself known. He had reacted as anyone would to the appearance of his angel, but quickly adjusted and found himself comfortable around the psychotic boy._

_Krad was skeptical of his tamer at first, and thought that the boy would never amount to much of anything. Of course, he had been right, but even though Ijou showed no promise of making a name for himself (other than the one on the news), he was a good guy to talk to and if nothing else, was dependable. Krad found he could definitely get along with the brunette and eventually got along with him too well. Feelings developed and suddenly the blonde found himself with a problem: What to do about his current boyfriend, Dark? In the end, he confessed everything to the one he had sworn he loved more than anything (even though that alone was sappy enough to make him gag), and Dark had taken it all in stride, as expected._

_"If you could, who would you choose?" _

_The question startled Krad and his grip tightened slightly, "Isn't that a ridiculous question?" he wondered._

_"Only if you already know the answer." Dark chuckled and kissed the other's cheek, "Don't worry about it so much. I know that even if you have feelings for Ijou-kun, you still love me."_

_Krad offered a grateful smile that quickly turned into a smirk, "Well, I'd have to see how he is in bed first. That might be a deciding factor."_

_Dark rolled his eyes and waved a hand, "You know no one's better than me, why even act like the kid has a chance?"_

_Krad flicked his other half, "Don't talk so cocky, you're not all that."_

_"Oh? I seem to be enough to get you moaning every night," he teased, "Or are you just calling out my name in displeasure?"_

_If Krad were the smallest bit naive, he'd have blushed his ass off. Instead, he just narrowed his eyes slightly and pushed Dark off the tower, "Let's see how loud _you _scream," he called after the falling angel._

_Dark caught his breath from laughing in time to call out for his familiar. With quickly caught the black-clad boy and brought him safely up back to his seat next to Krad. "Now what would you have done if I had been laughing too much to call for With?" he wondered._

_  
"Well," Krad pondered for a moment, "I guess I'd have no problem deciding who was better in bed."_

_**End Flashback**_

"I don't understand," Dark murmured, breaking the silence that had set in the room, "I took it so easily and you..."

"That's none of your business," Krad hissed, "We're not the same kind of person, so don't go thinking that I'll react the same way you will."

Dark sighed and approached his ex from behind, "I would have never left you for him, you know." Without Krad's permission, he wrapped his arms around the skinny waist and leaned against his back, "I still wouldn't."

"Get off of me." This time, though, his voice was a strained whisper, as if he were suppressing anger or hatred.

Instead of obeying, Dark leaned his chin on Krad's shoulder, "Stop trying to be so strong, you're not a bad guy, Krad."

"You're saying I'm weak?" Krad turned his head to meet Dark's eyes, his golden orbs shining hatred mingled with a past longing that he was still trying to bury.

"I'm saying you don't need to act so tough. I didn't do anything to hurt you-"

"That's a lie," Krad interjected, gritting his teeth, "Why the hell else would you tell me something like that!"

"Then why did you tell me?" Dark wondered, "Did you confess your crush on someone else to me so you could hurt me? I thought it was because you felt like you could trust me, the same way I did with you."

"Trust," the blonde scoffed, "there's a ploy for despair."

"It's not a ploy," Dark sighed, "I swear, Krad, like I have all these years, I would have never told you if I thought you'd be so upset by it."

_**Flashback**_

_"Hey, Krad." Dark had been a lot quieter than usual, and if Krad had to be honest, he was glad Dark seemed like he was finally ready to talk about it._

_"What is it?" the blonde asked, glancing up from underneath a pair of sunglasses. This time the setting was the middle of the day and in a grassy field that the pair always found relaxing. They had been going there for years, though the recent expansion of a nearby town threatened to spread to their safe haven._

_Dark knew both Ijou and Daiki would be aware of their conversation, but he also knew that as long as he mentioned nothing about Krad's feelings for his tamer that he would put any relationships in danger. He knew Daiki well enough to know the mature-beyond-his-years teenager would accept the news with grace._

_The purple-haired boy sat next to his lover and ran his fingers through the cool blades of grass. Finally, after many moments of hesitation, he spoke. "I have something to tell you."_

_Recognizing the words as his own right before he confessed his secret crush, Krad frowned, "What is it?" This time, the question was heavier and filled with dread._

_Dark finally met his boyfriend's gaze and locked their eyes with a certain confidence that he wouldn't be rejected, "I've developed feelings for Daiki."_

_Both tamers immediately rose to action upon hearing these words. Ijou, showing great interest in the events, immediately crowded Krad's thoughts, _"Are you kidding me? That cheating bastard. Kick his ass, Krad!"

"Shut up," _Krad thought as threateningly as he could,_ "I don't need your opinion on it."

"But for all you know he could be cheating on you with-"

_Krad sighed, annoyed, _"Think it through, genius. Daiki is Dark's_tamer_, there's no way they could have a physical relationship."

"Oh, right." _Ijou perhaps wasn't the brightest of the lot, but he wasn't daunted by that, _"He's still a bastard. How could he have feelings for someone else when he claimed to love you?"

"Just...shut up." _Those words made too much sense and Krad himself started to question his own feelings. Could he really say he loved Dark when he felt nearly as strongly for the voice in his head. He glared at Dark, deciding to take his anger and frustration out on him, "How the hell could you do that to me?" he demanded._

_Obviously taken back by the reaction, Dark blinked several times, "Krad, what are you..." He knew he couldn't say much, otherwise Ijou would find out Krad's true feelings._

_"You have feelings for him?" Krad demanded, "How could you possibly do that when you said you loved me!"_

"Just let him go," _Daiki advised as the blonde stood up and immediately stormed off._

_Dark frowned, _"I didn't think he'd react so... harshly."

"Well, what can you expect? It must have taken him by surprise." _As calm and collected as ever, the teen never once touched on the feelings that Dark had blurted out._

_The angel sighed and buried his face in his hands, _"What am I supposed to do now? Will he forgive me?"

"Only time will tell," _Daiki answered after a moment, _"I don't think he can stay angry forever, but Krad has always been a bit unpredictable."

_Dark couldn't disagree with that, and so instead of following after Krad like he had wanted, he remained in his grassy field, fingers clutching desperately at the cool blades of grass._

_**End Flashback**_

"I didn't think you'd be so angry for so long," Dark confessed, "By the time I realized I should have asked for forgiveness sooner, you were already too distant from me." He gave Krad a moment to respond, and when no answer came, he continued, "Why? Why did you get so upset? Was it really because you thought I was horrible for having the same feelings you were?"

It took the blonde a few minutes to cool himself down enough to answer. "No," he admitted, "I didn't think you were horrible, not anymore than I was."

"Then why?" Dark repeated, "Why did you cast me aside like that?"

"It was because I was angry at myself," the blonde confessed, sighing in annoyance at himself. After all these years of hating Dark and being pissed off at everyone and everything, he was finally being unraveled by the one he had sworn to always hate. "Ijou kept saying how horrible it was that you'd feel something for someone else when you were with me, and it just kept making me think how horrible I was for doing the same. That's why I ran away and why I started saying I hated you. I didn't want to believe that I was being just as disloyal."

Through the entire speech, Dark's face never once faltered from the small smile he had chosen to place there. He tightened his hug on the boy and leaned his head against Krad's. "I'm relieved, I thought you really hated me."

"You're...relieved?" Krad blinked before shaking his head, "You're still way too weird,you know that, right?"

"Stop acting so strong all the time, alright?" Dark asked, pulling back slightly so Krad could turn to face him, "I don't like missing you when you're always so close."

"Things aren't going to be like they were before," Krad pointed out, "Even if we were together again, our feelings for each other and our tamers are completely different. It's more..."

"Serious," Dark finished for him, "I know. I want to protect Daisuke more than anything, and I know you want to keep Satoshi closer than anyone else. Our personalities have changed a lot, so things can't be as easy as they were back then. Still, given all of that..."

Krad nodded in understanding and boldly reached a hand out, lacing their fingers together, "Even so, I missed you, too."

---

"Can it be done?"

Daiki studied an ancient book Emiko had held out to him. The page he was interested in spoke of a very old and possibly forbidden spell in it. The consequences for the ritual were high, including even the outcome of death, but if performed right and by capable hands, the product could be one soul split into two.

"It was originally created to split a single person's soul into two separate bodies, for any number of reasons I suppose," the woman informed her father, "but it is the same concept, right?"

"It is," Daiki agreed, nodding, "but it's a very dangerous ritual, and if it is not performed correctly, Daisuke may very well die."

Emiko frowned at hearing this, "How likely is it to work?" The last thing in the world she wanted was for Daisuke to be lost because of something like this, but she also wanted her son away from that monster that had taken Dark's place in his soul.

"If done properly and with all of the right instruments and ingredients, I believe the outcome has about an eighty-five percent chance of coming out favorably."

Eighty-five was a fairly high number, but Emiko wasn't sure if it was high enough to risk her son's life with. "What do you think we should do?" Despite it all, she couldn't make the decision on her own. She was afraid, if nothing else.

"I see only one problem with this," the old man said, a troubled look on his face, "One of the ingredients needed for the potion."

"What is it?" she asked, looking over his shoulder at an extensive list.

A bony finger pointed to one of the items listed, "The Cauldron's Crimson Heart," he murmured, "there's only one known in existence."

"That will be difficult to find, then," Emiko nodded, "what is it exactly?"

"A cauldron-shaped crystal filled with bright red liquid that contains properties of separation," Daiki expertly explained, "It was said to be most commonly used in scientific experiments where substances that could not be re-separated after mixing were easily pulled apart again. There are properties in the special crystal that is used for the container that, when left with the liquid over a period of time gives the Heart it's special properties."

"I see," she whispered, "I imagine many people are after it, then."

"I would imagine so," the elder agreed, "Fortunately, I have a clue as to where it may be found."

"Really?" Emiko asked, impressed, "Where?"

"That's the trouble," he sighed, "We will need Krad's cooperation if we have any hope of finding it."

* * *

Well, I guess it's a good thing Krad seems to be feeling cooperative. I'm really glad I got this done before my writing buzz wore off. XD, but now I'm sleepy. I guess I'll have to save the other fics for later. Hope you enjoyed!


	14. Past Friends and Present Foes

I'm not completely back from my hiatus, but I had this chapter typed up, so I decided to post it for all of you. Also, I want to use this chance to promote my new fic, Kataku. It's a Bleach fic, and pretty much what I've been writing since I've been dead on the site. I personally think it's pretty good, though the response hasn't been quite as encouraging as I had hoped. So, if you will, please check it out and review. Also, when I finish writing that up, I'll start focusing on my three main fics again (this one, Jealousy, First, Loves, and Silk Ribbons, and Kaitou Kousuke). I regret to say that until those fics are finished, Fickle Emotions and my drabbles will be stuck on a longer hiatus. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

WaterSpirit1: XD, I really will try to work on this story more when I start writing again, since I think I enjoy it more than my other. Thanks for reviewing!

red-headed psychopaths wanted: XDD, you gotta love them all. Thanks for reviewing!

Katherine Daystar: Life has been very hectic in the meantime, but it hasn't all been bad. Thanks for reviewing!

Daisukeismyboyfriend: It is, I know, and I feel terrible for it. However, not updating for a month or two at a time wasn't much different, was it? I also plan to finish writing these fics (at least this and my other D N Angel one) while on hiatus, so I won't make you all suffer through those evil waits more. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Daiki had pondered for several days how to go about approaching Krad. He had even considered trying a sneakier method, but realized that Krad had known him for so long that it would be futile. No, a more direct approach would be necessary, the decision of which had led him to wait on the couch for his grandson to return home from school.

"It's unusual to see you doing nothing," Dark commented from the hallway, "You look like you're deep in thought."

Daiki smiled slightly to his old angel, "Am I that obvious?"

The thief shrugged and ran a hand through his own hair, "Maybe, or maybe I just know you that well."

"Dark, perhaps you may know and can save me a bit of trouble," the old man said suddenly, an idea hitting him.

"Eh? Know what?" the purple-haired boy wondered, scratching his head, "You're too vague."

"What Krad did with the Cauldron's Crimson Heart."

Dark froze in his spot (though he hadn't been moving much) and his eyes fixated on Daiki in a serious manner. His carefree grin melted into a look of perplexity, "So, that's how you plan to do it?" He hadn't expected venturing from his room would bring about such a heavy topic so suddenly.

Daiki nodded, "Yes."

The younger-looking one shook his head, "No, I don't know. After he stole it, he said that he wanted to keep it hidden from all the greedy bastards that would use it for the wrong reasons."

"I see," the man murmured, "So then there really is no choice but to ask him."

"Well, that shouldn't be much of a problem, I hope." Dark sighed and rubbed his head again, "He overheard us talking the last time."

Daiki's frown deepened, "Is that so?"

"It's not as bad as it seems, though," Dark assured him, "We talked it over and he's decided that he doesn't hold a grudge against us for what happened. To be honest, he said it was all because of Ijou to begin with."

"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while," Daiki said fondly, his smile returning, "Well, if things will be simple, then perhaps this can all go over smoothly."

"It'll still be a sensitive subject," the angel pointed out, "maybe you should let me ask him."

"Dark, I can hardly remember when you ever took delicate measures when approaching anything," Daiki pointed out, "Perhaps you should let me handle this."

The two stared at each other for a defiant moment before Dark sighed, "Alright, I'll trust you." In his toughest times, Dark had relied on his tamer's wisdom to help him see the light. Even if he surpassed Daiki in years, the wise man had gained infinite wisdom in his short time.

:LINE BREAK:

_"I wonder what Dark's up to now," _Daisuke sighed, chin resting on his hand. It was only halfway through the school day and he had yet to find himself able to concentrate on his work. Not only did he have to leave his angel behind, but Satoshi was with him as well. Lessons that he usually could find interest in left him staring blankly at his teachers or text book and his thoughts centered around the missing boys in his life.

_"Ditch if you miss them that bad," _Krad told him and Daisuke swore he could hear the blonde rolling his eyes.

_"I can't ditch, I'd get in trouble," _the redhead pointed out, _"Besides, it's only a few more hours."_

_"Then stop complaining." _If there was one thing Krad couldn't stand, it was people bitching about something they wouldn't do anything about.

_"Why are you so anxious to get back?" _Daisuke wondered, _"Usually you're perfectly fine here, making fun of me."_ He had been asleep for a while, and gotten a good rest out of it, but when he awoke, he noticed both Dark and Krad had become more talkative. It was comforting to see that whatever tension they had passed through was over now and they were returning to their old selves.

_"I'm not _anxious_," _Krad said, defensively, _"I'm just bored and tired of you complaining all the time. Lighten up some, what do you really have to be upset about?" _

If the words hadn't been said with such a sneer, Daisuke would have been worried that his new angel was sick. To be helpful, even in a condescending way, was above and beyond what Krad's personality should have been capable of. He wasn't a nice person, Daisuke didn't think, and he wasn't one to be helpful. In fact, he was more likely to just tell someone to shut up and expect them to listen, then to sit down and try to work out what was wrong, even if the latter option would have been more effective.

_"I guess you're right," _he agreed, smiling slightly into his text book, _"thanks."_

A moment of silence passed between them before Krad realized how Daisuke had interpreted his words. _"Oh, no. Don't you even think I was trying to be helpful, I was just trying to shut you up."_

_"And you did it by being helpful, what's wrong with that?"_ Daisuke's grin widened a little, alerting unwanted attention.

"Niwa-kun?" Riku asked, looking over to her neighbor worriedly, "Are you okay?" She had been worried about Daisuke for a while (he had been acting so strange and distant), and now he was grinning like a maniac in the middle of math class.

Daisuke blinked, as if he forgot where he was, and looked to the girl, "Oh, I'm fine," he whispered back, offering a quick smile before falling into a silence again. Little did she know that he was having a mental battle with a mocking blonde that found it endlessly amusing to tease him about his lacking observation skills.

Riku sighed and looked back to her notes, focusing on her own thoughts, _"He's so different than he was before. He still smiles and laugh like he used to, but he's quiet a lot more. What's going on with him?" _She was sure not even super reporter Takeshi knew what was up with his so-called best friend.

Before she could dwell too much on the subject, the bell rang to change classes. She quickly packed up her things, jotting down the homework assignment, and looked over to Daisuke's seat. She blinked, not sure how it was possible, at the empty chair. Daisuke _had _just been talking to her, correct? How had he packed up and left so quickly? After a few minutes of pondering, Riku realized her sister was calling her name.

"Come on!" Risa shouted from near the door, "What are you spacing out for?"

Riku laughed nervously and waved a hand, "Coming!" she called back, casting one more glance to Daisuke's empty seat, _"I'll never understand him," _she decided, and followed her sister into the throng of students.

:LINE BREAK:

"Things have gotten interesting, haven't they?" Kei asked, glancing into the shadows. He chuckled to himself-- how had this bright, cheery, young boy become so accustomed to sticking to dark and depressing places?

"Interesting, that's one word for it," a younger voice replied. By all natural means, it should have been a much older voice, but since when was anything involved with Kei considered natural?

"What other word would you use?" He wouldn't be surprised at all if the boy told him 'tragic' or even 'pathetic'.

"What word would I use?" the boy repeated, "Upsetting."

"Typical," Kei chuckled, "For what reason? Simply because you miss the old days?"

"Not at all, simply because I'm disappointed in Krad; I expected him to be above these petty relationships by now." The boy finally stepped from the shadows into the filtered light of the setting sun. His untamed hair, a deep shade of vibrant auburn, curled lightly to his shoulders and his piercing green eyes, a dark shade of emerald, viewed the world half-lidded and casually. He was a few years older than Daisuke, looking to be about nineteen, but his wisdom and experiences reached much further than any human life span.

"Just because you have," Kei reasoned, "doesn't mean everyone else will."

"You make a point," the solemn-looking boy agreed, joining his partner at the large window, "even Daiki has withered from my hopes."

"What will you do now that you've achieved your goals?"

Ijou sighed softly and looked down upon the streets. People were still bustling about, even though twilight had begun to settle in, and they reminded him of a swarm of ants that needed to be stepped on. He had thought his goal an unrealistic one that he could spend his entire life trying to achieve, and that had been what he had wanted. He didn't want to sit around and let his life pass him by, so he chased after a dream he had thought he couldn't catch. However, once Kei appeared into his life, that far-fetched wish had become reality in a matter of years. So, now what did he have to look forward to?

A fond smile crept into his eyes, "I think I'll visit some old friends."

* * *

I didn't plan on Ijou making an entrance or being in cahoots with Kei or... doing anything besides being in a flashback. However, he seemed like he'd make an interesting twist in the plot and screw with Dark and Krad's reforming relationship a bit. I hope you don't hate him yet since he hasn't done much of anything XD. I know 'omg OC, flame!!11one!' but... please don't? He's really a pansy, so don't pick on him too much XD. Hope you enjoyed!


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